The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if US President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown are "absolutely going nowhere," a senior White House official says.

As the shutdown entered its fifth day, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN's State of the Union program he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and federal employee layoffs that have been threatened by White House budget director Russell Vought.

"President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don't," Hassett said.

Trump was asked by reporters when the administration would begin laying off federal w

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