The Trump administration has begun its much-anticipated layoffs of federal workers, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced Friday.

Why it matters: The president and Vought have repeatedly threatened to use the government shutdown to fire thousands of federal employees, who the president frequently refers to as members of the "deep state." • The "reductions in force," or RIFs, is the latest blow to the federal workforce, which is already down 200,000 employees this year. • Vought announced the layoffs on X, saying, "The RIFs have begun."

What they're saying: "We'll be cutting very popular democrat programs that aren't popular with republicans," President Trump said Thursday at the White House. • A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed the layoffs have begun a

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