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Hassett links Trump layoff threat to next funding vote
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett walks towards the West Wing following a television interview outside the White House on September 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
President Donald Trump could “start taking sharp measures” on Monday if the government shutdown continues after the Senate’s next votes on stopgap funding bills, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said.
Hassett’s warning on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” came after he said Democrats will be to blame for “any government worker that loses their job” due to reduction-in-force orders issued in response to the shutdown.
The Trump administration has repeatedly asserted that the shutdown will result in thousands of federal employees being laid off, rather than merely furloughed, as has been the case in past funding lapses.
Hassett said Monday morning that he expects Trump and other officials will be in the Oval Office watching the Senate’s upcoming vote on a Republican funding proposal that, if passed, would end the shutdown.
Dueling Republican and Democratic bills have already failed to pass numerous times since the shutdown began six days earlier, after party leaders could not negotiate a compromise to keep the government open.
Both Republicans’ “clean” resolution, which would resume funding at current levels through late November, and Democrats’ version, which includes additional health-care funding and other measures, are set to come to a vote again after 5:30 p.m. ET.
Trump will be “hoping that we’re going to get the government to stop being shut down” during those votes, Hassett told CNBC.
“But if not, then I would guess that team in the Oval is going to start taking sharp measures,” he said.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
