Leavitt: Shutdown layoffs likely to be in the 'thousands'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday warned that the administration expects federal layoffs stemming from the ongoing government shutdown to be in the "thousands."

President Donald Trump, the same day, confirmed that he would meet with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought on Thursday to discuss which "Democrat agencies" to cut.

"“It’s likely going to be in the thousands. It’s a very good question, and that’s something that the Office of Management and Budget and the entire team at the White House here again, is unfortunately having to work on today,” Leavitt said of the prospective cuts. "These discussions and these conversations, these meetings, would not be happening if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open."

The government formally entered a shutdown on Wednesday morning after the Senate failed to approve a continuing resolution to fund the government.

Republicans have insisted that the Democrats have sought a funding increase to provide health care to illegal aliens, while Democrats have insisted they are fighting to lower healthcare costs for Americans.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.