Updated October 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM EDT

President Trump is floating the possibility that some of the roughly 600,000 furloughed federal workers could be denied back pay once the government reopens, despite a 2019 law intended to ensure federal employees are compensated after a shutdown .

Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump appeared to publicly back a draft White House memo that includes an argument for denying workers pay.

"I would say it depends on who we're talking about," Trump said. "I can tell you this, the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy, but it really depends on who you're talking about. But for the most part, we're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we will take care o

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