The Trump administration has commenced the process of laying off federal employees as the impasse over the government shutdown persists. Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced the commencement of these layoffs, referred to as ‘reduction in force’ (RIF), via a post on X. RIF is a legal mechanism that allows the administration to terminate federal workers, a move that had been previously threatened if Democrats pushed for a government shutdown. An OMB spokesperson confirmed that the layoffs have indeed started and described them as ‘substantial,’ although specific figures regarding the number of affected employees were not disclosed. This development underscores the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, with federal workers caught in the crossfire of the political standoff.