The White House on Wednesday sent mixed messages about upcoming firings as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. Last week, the Trump administration threatened mass layoffs of some federal workers during the shutdown. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened that "a lot" of federal workers may get fired in a shutdown.

Speaking at a White House press briefing about layoffs, JD Vance said the Trump administration "don't necessarily want to do it, but we're going to do what we have to".

During the 2025 shutdown, VP JD Vance says federal layoffs are about finances and services, not politics, amid criticism of political motives.

The federal government entered a partial shutdown early Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on a

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, along with thousands of sailors are expected to attend an event celebrating the U.S. Navy's 250th birthday at Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday.

Director Russell Vought told House Republicans in a Wednesday call that layoffs of federal workers will be coming in a day or two, according to sources on the call. The call came on day one of a government shutdown as Democrats in Congress have rejected a short-term Republican

Vance warns travelers that air traffic controllers ‘no longer getting paid’ as Trump layoffs loom - Republican funding bill fails in Congress on Tuesday evening, leading to the first government shutdo