The White House budget office has instructed federal agencies to start preparing for a government shutdown. This directive comes after a crucial funding bill failed to pass, voted down by Democrats. This legislative deadlock puts the U.S. government on a path toward a shutdown just after midnight.
The Trump administration is actively using official government channels to place blame squarely on Democrats while simultaneously advancing the President’s policy agenda.
One federal agency issued a public warning, attributing the “massive pain” of an impending shutdown to “The Radical Left.” This controversial message has ignited debate about potential breaches of the Hatch Act, a law that limits partisan political activities by federal employees.
Notably, the White House’s official Twitter account posted a message stating, ‘🚨 Senate Democrats just voted to send the government into a shutdown. DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN LOADING.’
While past government shutdowns typically involved temporary furloughs, President Donald Trump’s administration has encouraged federal agencies to explore more permanent staff reductions. These cuts would specifically target programs deemed “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
Let’s examine the shutdown messaging currently emanating from various federal government entities:
On Tuesday, visitors to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website were met with a prominent pop-up message. It warned that “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands.”
An image shows U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) departing after a press conference following a Senate vote, just hours before a partial government shutdown was slated to begin on Capitol Hill.
The message continued, stating that “The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.”
When questioned about the banner’s accusation against Democrats, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett issued a statement asserting that “the Far Left is barreling our country toward a shut down, which will hurt all Americans.”
Critics online have suggested the message might violate the Hatch Act, an 80-year-old statute that prohibits partisan political engagement by federal employees. However, HUD officials countered these claims, pointing out that the banner avoided mentioning any specific election, political party, or individual politician.
Reports from federal employees indicate they’ve received communications highlighting President Trump’s general disapproval of a government shutdown.
Staff at the Departments of Interior, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Justice received a message reiterating President Trump’s opposition to a shutdown and his strong support for HR 5371. This Republican-backed bill aimed to fund the government until November 21st.
The message further stated, “Unfortunately Democrats are blocking the resolution in the Senate due to unrelated policy demands. If Congressional Democrats maintain their current posture and refuse to pass a clean continuing resolution to keep the government funded before midnight on Sept. 30, 2025, federal funding will lapse.”
Other agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, opted for more straightforward informational notices online. These detailed plans for adjusting their operating status “concurrently with the rest of the federal government.”
In a significant departure from previous shutdowns, where furloughs were temporary, the White House budget office has now advised agencies to consider permanent staff cuts in affected areas, adding a new layer of concern to the unfolding situation.
The U.S. Shutdown and Potential Layoffs
A memo released last week by the Office of Management and Budget outlined that agencies should explore ‘reductions in force’ for federal programs that would lose funding this week, lack alternative funding, and are deemed “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” This marks a far more aggressive approach than prior shutdowns, where non-essential federal employees were typically furloughed with the expectation of returning once Congress authorized spending.
Such reductions in force would mean not just temporary layoffs, but the permanent elimination of positions. This move would cause another significant disruption for a federal workforce already grappling with substantial cuts initiated earlier this year by the Department of Government Efficiency and other Trump administration efforts.