WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration made good on a threat to fire thousands of federal workers, with agencies sending "reduction in force" notifications to federal workers heading into the weekend.

Trump had threatened mass firings for almost two weeks, if Democrats did not agree to his terms to fund the government, when his administration pulled the trigger on the eleventh day of the federal shutdown.

The president said the layoffs hit "Democrat-oriented" areas of the government, without saying how many people had been fired.

"It will be a lot of people, all because of the Democrats," Trump told reporters on Oct. 10 in the Oval Office, as he tried to pin the blame for the shutdown on the opposing political party.

The Trump administration said about 4,000 federal workers had so far received RIF notices. The figure was detailed in a court document the Justice Department submitted in response to a lawsuit from unions representing government workers. But additional layoffs are coming, a senior administration official told USA TODAY.

The firings came under criticism from Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who is up for reelection next year.

"Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public," Collins said in a statement. "Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country.”

Follow along with USA TODAY for live updates.

'Pay our troops’ Trump says he’s found money for the military

President Donald Trump says his administration has sniffed out a way to get military service members their upcoming check during the ongoing government shutdown.

“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary (Pete) Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” Trump said in an Oct. 11 post on Truth Social.

If successful the maneuver could shift some of the focus in the messaging war between the White House and congressional Democrats, as the president looks to apply pressure to end the stalemate.

Trump asserted that paying the service members on Oct. 15 is paramount and that he won’t “allow the Democrats to hold our military, and the entire security of our nation, hostage.” He said the Democrats should allow the government to reopen.

But Democrats maintain they are opposing the Republican-sponsored spending plan because it cuts healthcare subsidies for millions. Some have sought to pressure Trump by spotlighting Qatar receiving a military base in Idaho and awarding Argentina a $20 billion currency swap during the shutdown.

“(Four) million Americans will lose health care if Republicans get their way,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, a rumored 2028 presidential candidate who is among the opposition, said in an Oct. 11 post on X.

“That means people will go bankrupt paying for chemotherapy. That’s on them.”

— Phillip M. Bailey

Education Department wipes out special education office

The U.S. Department of Education fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in a wave of new layoffs that began Friday, according to the union representing the agency's employees.

It was unclear how many people in the division were fired, but most staffers below the leadership level were part of the workforce reduction, said Rachel Gittleman, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Separately, employees involved in the college access program known as TRIO were also affected, she said.

The firings "double down on the harm to K-12 students and schools across the country," Gittleman told USA TODAY.

Spokespeople for the Education Department did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said on multiple occasions that safeguarding students with disabilities, and making sure they have access to the educational resources they're legally entitled to, is a top priority.

-Zachary Schermele

Who Trump is firing amid the shutdown

Nonessential federal workers have historically been placed on furloughs that pause their pay during government shutdowns rather than being hit with firings.

But Trump is seeking to apply maximum pressure on Democrats as the firings appear to target areas that the president has criticized in the past.

“These are largely people that the Democrats want,” Trump said this week. "Many of them will be fired."

At least seven departments are seeing slashes, according to court documents, including 176 workers in the Department of Homeland Security; 187 in the Energy Department; 315 in the Commerce Department; 442 in the Department of Housing and Urban Development; 466 in the Education Department; roughly 1,200 in the Department of Health and Human Services; and 1,446 in the Treasury Department.

Some agencies are being hit harder than others, for example, nearly the entirety of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education was laid off.

Federal union leaders contend the firings are illegal and plan to challenge them in court as Democratic leaders dig in their heels and focus their messaging on restoring Obamacare subsidies.

“Donald Trump is back on the golf course,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in an Oct. 11 post on X. “House Republicans have cancelled votes for a third straight week. And Democrats are continuing the fight to protect your healthcare.”

— Phillip M. Bailey

Why did the U.S. government shut down?

Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on passing a bill funding government services through October, resulting in a shutdown.

But the specific reason for the 11-day deadlock is a battle over federal subsidies for health insurance.

Progressive lawmakers want to restore Medicaid funding towards the Affordable Care Act − often called Obamacare – that were cut by Trump's "one big, beautiful" legislative package. It is estimated 7.5 million people could go without health insurance as a result.

The Trump administration argues Democrats are seeking to give those resources to undocumented immigrants, but as USA TODAY has reported, it's a bit more complicated than how the president and his allies are presenting the situation.

Even though the GOP controls both chambers of Congress, in the Senate they are consistently coming up short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster and get their spending proposal to Trump’s desk, which gives Democrats an upper hand in the negotiations.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Senate math remains stagnant

Things are getting testy on Capitol Hill as lawmakers cannot seem to find a compromise on opening the federal government back up as they feel pressure from angry Americans back home.

The Senate has tried at least a half dozen times to get the measure through since the shutdown happened, but its members cannot reach the needed 60-vote threshold.

Democratic Sens. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, and Catherine Cortez Masto, of Nevada, along with independent Angus King, of Maine, have joined the GOP caucus. But with Republican Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, siding against the measure, they still need five more Democrats to defect on a short-term spending bill.

These are the retiring or moderate Democrats to watch.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Polls: Most Americans blame Trump, GOP – for now

Both sides are making their case to the American public, and at the moment voters are mostly saying the shutdown is the fault of Trump and his Republican allies.

An Economist/YouGov poll conducted Oct. 4-6, for example, found 41% of U.S. adults think the president and GOP are responsible, versus 30% who said the same about Democrats.

Another 23% say both parties are equally responsible, according to the survey, but that could change as the impact of the shutdown spreads.

The Federal Aviation Administration, for instance, announced earlier this week it was understaffed at two locations in New Jersey and New Mexico causing some flight delays; military families are starting to lash out at lawmakers over the likelihood of missed paychecks amid reports of growing lines at food pantries and cancellation of children services for their children; and Native American communities are leaning on their tribal nation' reserves after being disproportionately impacted when the Bureau of Indian Affairs placed over 1,100 employees on furlough on the shutdown's first day.

If the shutdown continues – Polymarket bettors give it between 10 to 29 days, for instance – then the polling could shift significantly and that may reshuffle the political math in Congress.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Senate Republican floats ‘nuclear option’ to end shutdown

As President Trump begins mass layoffs in response to the shutdown, some Republicans lawmakers are suggesting the Senate bypass the 60-vote rule and reopen the government without Democratic help.

“Let’s make this a Republican-only vote,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said during an Oct. 8 appearance on Fox News.

The filibuster, he added, allows the minority party to hold the majority "hostage" and the GOP should use a simple majority vote to break the logjam. It’s an idea Trump himself floated back in 2018 when a shutdown hit his first crack at the presidency.

But just as Republican leadership back then had cautioned against evoking the so-called “nuclear option” Senate Majority Leader John Thune affirmed this week that the upper chamber isn’t interested.

“There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from social media, etcetera, but no, I have not had that conversation with the president,” the South Dakota senator said when asked about the idea.

Other Republicans have thrown cold water on it, too, mainly arguing that the same lever could be used against them by a Democratic majority in the future.

— Phillip M. Bailey

When will Congress vote next?

House Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled plans for the House to convene on Oct. 13 and did not set a date for members to return.

The Senate is out until Oct. 14. In the evening, senators will take another government funding vote. It will be their eighth time taking up legislation. For the bill that Republicans have been putting forward to pass, five additional Democrats would need to cross party lines to support it.

How long will the shutdown last?

A breakthrough in shutdown negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to fund the government appeared increasingly unlikely before next Tuesday, with the Senate in recess until then.

Trump is expected to depart on Oct. 12 for Israel and Egypt. He's not expected to return until Oct. 14.

Smithsonian museums, National Zoo to close temporarily

Smithsonian museums – including the National Zoo – are set to temporarily close on Oct. 12,

Social media will not be updated during the closure other than to provide updates on the status of operations, a statement posted to X said.

The Smithsonian operates the zoon and a complex of 17 museums in the Washington, D.C. area and two in New York City.

The closure means the National Zoo's beloved giant panda cam will not be in operation until the shutdown ends. The staff who run the live animal feeds are considered nonessential, the zoo's website says. The animals will still be cared for and fed.

Contributing: Joey Garrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he's found money to pay the military during the federal shutdown.

Reporting by Francesca Chambers and Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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