Donald Trump warns of firings, permanent project cuts amid US government shutdown

A partial US government shutdown that began on Wednesday continues after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal. Donald Trump has warned that federal workers could be fired, and permanent project cuts could occur, targeting Democratic priorities. Trump said, “We could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects, and they’d be permanently cut.” This is seen as an opportunity for Trump to reshape the federal workforce, with a reported 1 lakh jobs at risk. The situation is being compared to the 35-day shutdown in 2018, which cost the US economy an estimated $10 billion. Democrats state they were ready to negotiate a $1 trillion funding package, with a particular focus on ensuring better healthcare for the American people.