How Trump is trying to pressure Democrats by targeting federal workers | DW News

A judge has halted mass layoffs of federal workers amidst a government shutdown caused by a deadlock on a spending plan. The White House had planned to terminate over 10,000 federal jobs and halt government projects supported by Democrats, framing these actions as removing programs they disliked and saving billions. This strategy aims to pressure Democrats into agreeing on a budget, but lawmakers are continuing to blame each other for the impasse.

The administration's plan to lay off federal workers is facing legal challenges, with a judge in California issuing a temporary block on termination notices. This move is seen as a direct attempt to use federal job cuts as leverage against Democrats. The judge, appointed by a former president, is situated in a city known for its liberal politics, which some believe influenced the decision to intervene.

Further complicating matters, the administration is also cutting billions in grants to Democratic districts. While these actions are intended to exert pressure, there's a cyclical political dynamic where incoming administrations reverse the policies of their predecessors, hindering the long-term effectiveness and development of programs.

• A judge ordered a halt to mass layoffs of federal workers during a government shutdown.
• The White House planned to fire over 10,000 federal workers and cut government projects.
• These actions were intended as leverage against Democrats to agree on a spending plan.
• The administration is also cutting billions in grants to Democratic districts.
• A recurring political issue is that programs lack time to develop due to policy reversals by successive administrations.

Federal Worker Layoffs Halted [0:00]

• A judge in California has ordered a halt to mass layoffs of federal workers.
• This action comes as the US federal government shutdown continues.
• The White House had announced plans to fire thousands of public sector workers, with over 10,000 federal workers slated for termination.

This section details the immediate judicial intervention preventing planned layoffs of federal employees during a prolonged government shutdown, highlighting the administration's intention to use these terminations as a pressure tactic.

A judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to halt mass layoffs of federal workers as the US federal government shutdown drags on.

Government Shutdown and Political Standoff [0:18]

• Republican and Democratic lawmakers cannot agree on a spending plan to keep federal government services running.
• The disagreement centers on a spending plan that would extend services until the end of November.
• Both parties are blaming each other for the ongoing standoff.
• The President stated he is looking to shut down government projects supported by Democratic lawmakers during the shutdown.

This part explains the root cause of the shutdown – a failure to agree on a budget – and the reciprocal blame game between political parties, along with the President's intention to target specific projects.

You know, we're getting rid of programs that we didn't like, but that were negotiated in but we didn't like. We're terminating those programs and they're going to be terminated on a permanent basis. And it's thousands of people and it's it's, you know, billions of dollars.

Administration's Strategy and Potential Effectiveness [1:07]

• The President is attempting to pressure Democrats by targeting federal workers.
• It is questioned whether this strategy is currently working.
• The impact may be felt more significantly once government workers experience financial strain after the shutdown continues for a longer period.
• The shutdown has only been in effect for a couple of weeks.
• The deployment of National Guard troops into liberal cities is noted as happening concurrently.
• The administration is also targeting the energy sector, specifically the green energy sector, aiming to eliminate jobs.

This section analyzes the administration's strategy of using federal worker layoffs as leverage and discusses its immediate effectiveness, suggesting that the true impact will be felt as the shutdown lengthens.

Trump is trying to pressure Democrats by targeting federal workers. Do you think his strategy is working? No. Uh not at the moment.

Targeting Green Energy and Financial Motivations [1:42]

• The administration is going after the green energy sector and trying to eliminate jobs within it.
• The President is described as a billionaire with many billionaire friends, including those in the oil and fossil fuel industries.
• This financial interest in the oil industry is suggested as a reason for holding firm on cuts and prioritizing these sectors.
• Democrats argue against the cuts, stating the administration wants to get rid of healthcare, while Republicans frame it as a disagreement over priorities.

This part delves into the specific focus on the green energy sector, linking it to the financial interests of the President and his associates in traditional energy industries.

And he's going after the energy sector, uh the green energy sector, and trying to eliminate a lot of those jobs. uh we have to remember let's call you know Donald Trump what Donald Trump is he's a billionaire and he's got a lot of billionaire friends and there's a lot of money in the oil industry in the fossil fuel industry.

Judicial Challenges to Administration Plans [2:22]

• A federal judge in California has temporarily halted termination notices for federal workers.
• The court is now involved in resolving the issue.
• There is a question of whether the courts will undermine some of the President's plans, including deployments and layoffs.
• It remains to be seen if new plans will emerge that will also face legal challenges.

This segment focuses on the legal battles emerging against the administration's actions, specifically mentioning the judge's ruling as a potential impediment to the President's agenda.

We now see that a federal judge in California has put a a halt temporarily at least to those termination notices while the issue is fought out in the courts. Do you think the courts are going to take the teeth out of some of Trump's plans?

Political Influence on Judicial Rulings [2:46]

• The district judge who blocked the termination of government workers is from San Francisco, described as a liberal, left-wing, Democratic city.
• The judge was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, which is seen as adding further political dimension to the ruling, given existing animosity towards the current President.
• The speaker suggests that judges from liberal cities may be inclined to stop actions proposed by Republicans or conservatives.
• The outcome of these legal battles is presented as an interesting development, with the expectation that someone will eventually concede.

This section explores the perception of political bias in judicial decisions, linking the judge's location and past appointments to her ruling, and suggesting a pattern of opposition from liberal-leaning judiciary to conservative actions.

So, the district judge that uh made the ruling blocking the uh you know, the canning of 10,000 government workers is from San Francisco, as we know, very liberal city, very left-wing, very Democratic city. Uh that's not a surprise that she's going to, you know, stick her foot in and stop whatever is happening from the Republicans.

Targeting Green New Deal Initiatives [4:02]

• Many of the jobs targeted are associated with the Green New Deal.
• Corporations are currently reducing their workforce due to economic conditions.
• The administration is focusing on trimming what they perceive as "fat" in green energy departments.
• Republicans view these departments and their green energy plans as "pipe dreams" and unnecessary.
• Some Republicans acknowledge the need for green energy discussions but emphasize current reliance on fossil fuels.
• They believe throwing money at "pipe dreams" is wasteful.

This part clarifies which specific programs and jobs are being targeted, detailing the administration's rationale for deeming the Green New Deal and its associated initiatives as economically unviable or unnecessary.

So, a lot of the jobs that they're going after are in the Green New Deal. And uh across the United States right now, there's uh corporations are shedding the fat all over just because the economy isn't the greatest right now.

Reversing Policies and Program Instability [5:00]

• The President is stopping billions in grants to Democratic districts, money already allocated by Congress.
• This action is considered likely to withstand court challenges regardless of the judge's political leaning.
• Whatever actions the current administration puts in place will likely be reversed if the opposing party wins the next election.
• This reversal process can take about a year, and then the new administration's policies will be implemented for a few years.
• The primary problem identified is that these programs do not have sufficient time to be established, developed, and function as originally intended.

This concluding section discusses the broader issue of policy instability in the US, where programs lack continuity due to frequent reversals by successive administrations, hindering their ability to mature and achieve their goals.

It's very fair. But here's the thing. It's kind it's whatever Trump does, it's going to be in place for a few years and then if the Democrats win the next, you know, uh national election, it'll take about a year and then whatever they want in place will be in place for a few years.