In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing government shutdown, former President Donald Trump has signaled his intent to proceed with mass layoffs of federal workers, intensifying pressure on Democrats to concede to his demands. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he would meet with budget chief Russell Vought to identify agencies for potential cuts, labeling many as ‘political scams.’ The shutdown, now in its second day, has already forced 750,000 federal employees to stay home without pay, with threats of permanent layoffs looming.