(NewsNation) — President Trump on Friday blamed Democrats as his administration identified more than 4,000 federal jobs it is eliminating during the ongoing government shutdown.
The layoffs of roughly 4,100 employees, outlined in a court filing, would affect seven federal agencies. They break down this way:
- 315 employees from the Department of Commerce
- 466 employees from the Department of Education
- 187 employees from the Department of Energy
- Up to 1,200 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services
- 422 employees from the Department of Housing and Urban Development
- 176 employees from the Department of Homeland Security
- 1,446 employees from the Treasury Department
The job cuts, if they survive legal challenges from labor unions representing workers, would make good on promises from Trump to punish Democrats as the opposition party refuses to reopen the government until Republicans who control Congress agree to restore health care subsidies.
During a White House news conference Friday, Trump said the latest federal job cuts would be “Democrat-oriented.”
“It’ll be a lot of people, all because of the Democrats,” he said.
Chicago Congressman Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat, criticized Trump for his remarks and said federal employees shouldn’t be “traumatized” because they work to support programs that are perceived as Democrat-leaning.
“I think the rhetoric starts at the top. It’s got to come down,” he told “CUOMO” Friday evening.
The Trump administration has already reduced the federal workforce by roughly 300,000 civilian workers since the Republican president began his second term on Jan. 20, according to Reuters.