Trump and budget chief Vought are making this a government shutdown unlike any other

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President Donald Trump listens during an event in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is making this government shutdown unlike any the country has ever seen, enabling his budget office a rare authority to pick winners and losers — who gets paid or fired — in an unprecedented restructuring across the federal workforce.

As the shutdown enters its third week , the Office and Management and Budget said Tuesday it's preparing to “batten down the hatches” with more reductions in force to come. The president calls budget chief Russ Vought the “grim reaper” who's seized on the opportunity to fund Trump's priorities, paying