President Trump and his administration prepared to lay off thousands of federal workers on Friday, using the government shutdown as an opportunity to target agencies that aren't aligned with the president's views.

Why it matters: The mass layoffs could further decimate a federal workforce already down 200,000 employees since Trump retook office, sending away thousands more who are in charge of crafting America's health care, education and environmental policy.

What they're saying: A spokesperson for the largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees, told Axios that the Trump administration is "illegally" firing thousands of workers who provide "critical services" to communities across the country. • "In AFGE's 93 years of existence under several presid

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