WH's Leavitt says federal govt. layoffs are likely 'to be in the thousands' as shutdown hits day two скачать в хорошем качестве

WH's Leavitt says federal govt. layoffs are likely 'to be in the thousands' as shutdown hits day two

(2 Oct 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington, DC - 3 October 2025 1. Mid, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walks toward reporters 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary: "Good morning everyone. How are you? Good. We're on day two, unfortunately, of a government shutdown. The president, the vice president, and the entire team here will continue to work and talk to members on the Hill to try and come to a resolution, to try to encourage Democrats to muster up the courage to do the right thing. We believe there will be a vote taking place tomorrow, and we hope that vote will lead to the government reopening. That's what the president wants to see, and that's what we're working on today." 3. UPSOUND (English) Reporter asking question: "Yesterday, the vice president in the briefing room by your side, expressed this optimism that he thinks this shutdown is going to be a short shutdown. Do you share that optimism? Does the president share that optimism?" 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary: "I do. I think we all, that's our hope, and that's our expectation. We know, Democrats know, they are doing the wrong thing by shutting the government down. You can see it when they're answering questions. You can hear it in their voice. There is zero good reason for them to vote to shut the government down right now. They are doing it for political reasons. They are doing it because they want to give taxpayer-funded health care benefits to illegal aliens, which is something the American people resoundingly rejected ahead of the election last year. That's why they re-elected President Trump in a large part. And so Democrats know what the right thing to do is, and it's to reopen the federal government. " ++BLACK FRAMES++ 5. UPSOUND (English) Reporter asking question: "Can you give us an estimate on the amount of federal workers the Trump administration wants to fire during the government shutdown? Are we talking hundreds? Are we talking thousands?" 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary: "Look, it's likely going to be in the thousands. It's a very good question, and that's something that the Office of Management and Budget and the entire team at the White House here, again, is unfortunately having to work on today. These discussions and these conversations, these meetings would not be happening if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open." 7. Pan, Leavitt walks away STORYLINE: President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting irreversible cuts to programs important to Democrats. Rather than simply furlough employees, as is usually done during any lapse of funds, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were imminent. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Leavitt said the layoffs were "likely going to be in the thousands." "The president, the vice president, and the entire team here will continue to work and talk to members on the Hill to try and come to a resolution, to try to encourage Democrats to muster up the courage to do the right thing," Leavitt said. Thursday is day two of the shutdown, and already the dial is turned high. The aggressive approach coming from the Trump administration is what certain lawmakers and budget observers feared if Congress, which has the responsibility to pass legislation to fund government, failed to do its work and relinquished control to the White House. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...