Senior Republicans have reportedly urged Donald Trump to shelve plans for mass federal layoffs and steep benefit cuts as the government shutdown enters its second week.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader John Thune had privately begged the president to contain the damage caused by the shutdown—warning him that sweeping cuts and layoffs could backfire and lead voters to blame Republicans.
The outlet says the “hand-wringing” marks a break with Trump’s threat to use the shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash agencies and potentially deny back pay.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Journal, “The only reason we are forced to have these conversations is because the Democrats shut down the government,” adding that the quickest fix is reopening government.
There are signs, however, that Trump is feeling the pressure. The administration hasn’t yet executed the firings the president—nicknamed TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out—has teased.
Aides are discussing tariff revenue to fund food aid benefits while promising back pay to most federal workers, says the report.
The wobble comes after the White House turned furloughed workers’ auto-replies into partisan messages blaming Democrats—now reported to be the subject of legal scrutiny and a congressional probe.
Inside the party, the strategy divide is stark. Sen. Ted Cruz hailed the prospect of pink slips for federal workers as “fantastic.”
But other Republicans warn the public will blame them if healthcare costs jump, with Democrats making expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies their red line, according to the Journal.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, has criticized the shutdown approach and urged her party to “get real” on healthcare subsidies.
Already the real-world strain is mounting. Air traffic controllers have been forced to work without pay, leading to outages and delays this week. Federal workers—including 1.3 million active-duty service members—face missed paychecks around Oct. 15 if the stalemate drags on.
Republicans say their message should be that Democrats are “holding the government hostage,” and talks on subsidies can wait until after a reopening vote.
But with both Senate funding plans failing again on Wednesday—and the White House still dangling cuts—the risk of political blowback is exactly what Thune is trying to head off, says the Journal.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Thune’s office for comment.
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