Nobody knows when the government shutdown will end -- but President Donald Trump can guarantee that many federal workers won't have jobs to come back to when it's over.
Working with budget hawk Russ Vought, Trump is leveraging the shutdown to escalate his rolling purge of the federal government, the New York Post reports.
Trump hinted that firings could come as soon as Friday, concentrated in agencies staffed by "Democrat" officials.
“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.
Echoing Trump, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that "thousands" of workers are facing termination, particularly those who do not support Trump's mission.
Some of the hardest-hit agencies could include the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - frequent targets of the right, where over 80% of workers have already been furloughed.
Any firings could create political pain for Democrats, who have cast themselves as defenders of the civil service -- while at the same time choosing to shutter government services over policy differences.
Democrats have refused to fund the government unless Republicans extend enhanced tax credits for the Obamacare exchanges.
Republicans say they are willing to negotiate on healthcare, but the issue should be addressed another time.
There was no end in sight to the impasse Friday as Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), continued to press their demands.
"It's Day 3 of the Trump shutdown, and the government remains closed because Donald Trump and Republicans insist on raising Americans' health care premiums and kicking millions off their insurance," Schumer said.
Schumer's hostage-taking strategy has political risks, not least the possibility that voters blame his party for the consequences of the shutdown.
Indeed, Schumer himself opposed a shutdown earlier this year, warning it would make Trump even stronger. Schumer took a drubbing from Democrats, at the time, but the senator may have been onto something.
Indeed, Trump and his Republican allies say Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot.
“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump wrote.
