ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has warned that his administration could eliminate a large number of government jobs if the ongoing shutdown situation worsens.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the decision could take effect “in the coming days,” though the scale of the job cuts would depend on developments in Chicago.
“A huge job cut could also include regular government employees,” Trump said. “If this keeps going, it will be substantial.”
His comments came in response to a reporter’s question about how many permanent government jobs might be eliminated if protestors continued to disrupt government operations.
Trump Targets Democrats
Trump also called for the imprisonment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, as his administration prepared to deploy military troops to Chicago — the third-largest US city.
Neither Johnson nor Pritzker has been accused of criminal wrongdoing, but both have been outspoken opponents of Trump’s immigration crackdown and the deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic-leaning states.
Trump’s demand to jail the two officials follows the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey — a long-time critic of the former president — on charges widely described as politically motivated. Comey is expected to plead not guilty to allegations of lying to Congress.
On his social media platform, Trump accused Johnson and Pritzker of failing to protect federal immigration officers working in Chicago.
“Chicago’s Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote.
In response, Mayor Johnson said on social media:
“This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere.”
Pritzker, seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, also criticized Trump’s remarks:
“Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”
Troop Deployments
Hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers have reportedly gathered at an Army facility outside Chicago, despite opposition from Pritzker, Johnson, and other Democratic leaders. Trump has also threatened to send troops to more US cities, calling them “training grounds” for federal forces.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday showed that most Americans oppose troop deployments within the country in the absence of an external threat.
Trump has already ordered National Guard deployments to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, after earlier sending troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Each move has faced strong resistance from local leaders, who argue that Trump’s claims of widespread violence are exaggerated.
“My goal is very simple — STOP CRIME IN AMERICA!” Trump wrote online.
Despite his claims, violent crime has fallen in many major US cities since its COVID-era peak. Local officials say recent protests over immigration policy in Chicago and Portland have been largely peaceful.
Illinois Governor Pritzker accused Trump of “trying to provoke violence to justify further militarization,” and his administration has filed a lawsuit to halt the deployments. A federal judge on Monday allowed the Chicago deployment to continue temporarily, while another court blocked the deployment to Portland.
Trump has also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to bypass state opposition — a measure last used during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.