President Donald Trump opened the door to blocking back pay for certain federal workers when the government reopens, a move that would heighten legal scrutiny of the administration’s maneuvers during the shutdown.

“It really depends on who you’re talking about, but for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people,” he told reporters at the White House. “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

The White House’s Budget Office (OMB) led by Russell Vought has drafted a memo that says the workers aren’t guaranteed compensation during the shutdown, a posture that raises the stakes in the confrontation with Democrats nearly a week after agencies and departments suspended non-essential operations.

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