White House Confirms Layoffs Coming ‘Very Soon’ Amid Government Shutdown

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that federal layoffs will occur in the near future amid a government shutdown, as Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the administration will have to carry out layoffs. “Expect more announcements,” she said, adding that the layoffs could come in “two days, imminent, or very soon.” Later, Leavitt said that a reductions-in-force, or RIFs, “are unfortunately going to have to happen very soon,” the press secretary said. She placed the blame on Democrats, saying that “the Democrats put us in this position” by rejecting a Republican-backed measure to fund the government. Starting Wednesday morning, federal agencies have ordered hundreds of thousands of federal employees not to work, deeming them not essential to protecting people and property....