Trump Turns U.S. Government Shutdown Into A Tool For Revenge
The U.S. government shutdown stretches into its second week due to the divergence between the parties, Democrats and Republicans, on the budget. But most importantly, President Trump is using this crisis to punish his political opponents. He is going to fire federal workers and freeze billions of dollars in funding in democratic led states. Political analysts, legal experts, and economists are warning that it will impact the country’s economy and ruin the public trust.
“Layoffs Are Imminent”: White House Confirms Firings
The shutdown began at midnight on October 1, 2025. It began after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking directly from the White House, said that “We believe layoffs are imminent. They are, unfortunately, a consequence of this government shutdown.”
She also added that “It would be irresponsible of us not to take a look at each and every agency and get an understanding of what we’re going to have to do moving forward.”
OMB Director Russell Vought told House Republicans, “Expect layoffs in one to two days.” Similarly, President Trump himself said when speaking in the Oval Office that “So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they’re Democrats, they’re going to be Democrats.”
Funding Freeze Targets Democratic Strongholds
The Donald Trump administration has frozen 26 billion dollars in federal funding, which is a huge cut. This funding also includes New York infrastructure projects, funding of around 18 million dollars. The most prominent New York projects include the Hudson Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway, but are not limited to these.
All the projects are closely tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. So Kathy Hochul, the governor, warned, saying that “The Statue of Liberty may go dark due to funding cuts.”
Till now, things are in process, and funding has not been completely cut because of a federal judge who issued a temporary restraining order. There is a citing of political retaliation on the cuts to New York’s transit security funds.
Legal Experts Warn of Overreach
Daniel Hornung, policy fellow at Stanford, said that “There’s no legal authority that you get from shutting down to do RIFs.”
Daniel emphasized that without a 30-60 day prior notice, no permanent layoff could take place. He also added that using a shutdown to bypass that could be overturned in court.
Senate Democrats stated that “Their unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”
Economic Impact: $400 Million Lost Daily
The U.S. government shutdown affects 750,000 federal workers. It is estimated that the economy is losing an estimated $400 million in wages every day.
All the essential services, including military operations and law enforcement, crucial to survival, for the country will continue. However, workers are not getting paid. They have to wait until Congress passes a new funding bill.
A Tufts University professor, Michael Klein, warned that “Consumers will start spending less because they’re concerned about what the future looks like.”
Political Messaging Raises Ethical Alarms
Federal agencies like HUD and the Forest Service posted partisan messages. In these messages, they blame the “Radical Left” and are raising concerns about Hatch Act violations.
Vice President JD Vance said, “We’re not targeting federal agencies based on politics. We’re targeting the people’s government so that as much as possible of the essential services can continue to function.”
Hakeem Jeffries responded by stating that “These are all things that the Trump administration has been doing since Jan. 20.” He called the strategy “cruelty by design.”
This Shutdown Is Different From Any Other
In U.S. history, there have been multiple government shutdowns, but this one is not like any previous one. This shutdown is permanent, as compared to all previous ones that were temporary furloughs. This current shutdown is more than a shutdown; it’s a political revenge with a possibility of political retaliation. Cutting jobs permanently and freezing targeted funds, the Trump administration is bringing the country to a bigger political and economic collapse. This time, the shutdown will reshape federal institutions and may deeply disturb the public trust if not cured in time.
