Politics & Government
Trump Threatens Mass Dole Firings to Force Congressional Concessions
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Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, December 21st 2025 at 11:46 GMT by ABC7- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
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Trump’s “Shutdown & Firing” Tactics: How the Former President is Using Government Closures as Political Punishment
In a late‑March episode of political brinkmanship, former President Donald Trump leveraged a looming federal government shutdown to press Democrats and even certain Republicans into the “budget hole” that has kept the nation’s funding process at a stalemate. The ABC 7 piece, “Trump Uses Government Shutdown, Dole Firings, Political Punishment,” unpacks the president’s playbook—how he is threatening mass firings at the Department of Labor (“Dole” in the article’s shorthand) as a tool to punish lawmakers who fail to cooperate. The story is steeped in the same budget battles that have kept Washington on a knife’s edge for months, but it adds a fresh twist: a deliberate threat to remove thousands of civilian employees as a punitive device.
1. The “Shutdown” Threat: A Recurring Trump Tool
The article opens with a straightforward timeline of the looming shutdown: the federal budget for fiscal year 2024 expires on March 31, and Congress has yet to agree on a continuing resolution. Trump has long used the specter of a shutdown to rally his base and pressure Congress. In a March 18 Twitter post, the former president vowed that “if Congress fails to get this done, the government will close.” That statement set off a chain of reactions across the political spectrum.
ABC 7 cites the White House’s own fact sheet on the subject, which spells out that a shutdown would freeze non‑essential federal operations. While essential services—such as the Department of Defense and law‑enforcement agencies—would continue, nearly 800,000 federal workers would be furloughed, contractors would lose payments, and a host of government programs would grind to a halt. The article underscores that a shutdown can cost the economy billions of dollars and creates a political crisis that is “unavoidable if a resolution isn’t reached.”
2. “Dole” Firings: Targeted Political Punishment
The most eye‑catching element of the ABC 7 piece is its focus on the “Dole” firings—a term the writer uses to refer to the Department of Labor’s proposed mass layoffs. The Department of Labor, headed by Secretary Marcia Fudge, has been on the chopping block for a long time. Trump’s own campaign staff, including the former chief of staff, had repeatedly cited the Department of Labor as “the one area where the Biden administration is wrong.” In the article, Trump’s threat is described as a “political punishment” for congressional members who do not support his agenda.
ABC 7 links to a Bloomberg article that explains that the Department of Labor’s payroll is among the largest federal agencies, employing over 15,000 people across the country. A mass firing of even a fraction of that workforce would not only cause a public relations disaster but also hurt the president’s coalition of working‑class voters who rely on federal jobs for stability. The article notes that the president’s threat is designed to “force lawmakers into a corner where they must choose between the wrath of the executive branch and the economic reality of a shutdown.”
3. Political Context: Republicans, Democrats, and the Biden Administration
The article provides a balanced view of how the political climate is shaping the shutdown threat. On the Republican side, the House of Representatives has been split over whether to approve a budget that includes the president’s demand for a large transfer of funds to “America’s Great Families” and other “tax cuts.” Several moderate Republicans—most notably those from swing districts—have signaled that they are reluctant to support the president’s demands. ABC 7 quotes former House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who says the “current fiscal crisis requires a bipartisan solution” but is “willing to talk about what we can give” in a more moderate proposal.
Democrats, on the other hand, are wary of any political fallout that a shutdown could bring. The article references a Senate aide’s comment that the Democrats “cannot afford a shutdown that would hurt the very people who voted for the Biden administration.” ABC 7 links to a Washington Post piece that details how the current debt ceiling debate is interlocking with the budget crisis, creating a perfect storm that could lead to a “partial shutdown” if lawmakers cannot come to an agreement.
4. Reactions from Federal Workers and Advocacy Groups
The ABC 7 piece dedicates a sizable portion to the voice of federal workers. The article quotes a spokesperson from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), who says, “We are not going to let our livelihoods be used as a bargaining chip.” The union’s president, who had previously criticized the administration for its “unnecessary budget cuts,” says the threat to the Department of Labor is “the most egregious political weapon the president has ever tried.”
The article also links to a Bloomberg interview with a former Department of Labor employee who has been laid off due to the shutdown. The interview highlights the personal cost of the threat: “I’ve been on the payroll for 15 years,” the employee says, “and now I’m looking at a job I can’t afford. That’s the real punishment.”
5. Potential Outcomes and Future Implications
In its conclusion, ABC 7 offers a sober assessment of the possible scenarios. If Congress fails to approve a budget resolution by March 31, a full shutdown will occur. In that scenario, the “Dole” firings will become a reality, affecting a wide range of federal employees. The article stresses that the political damage will be severe, especially for the Republican party, as the fallout could alienate voters who rely on federal jobs. On the other hand, if a compromise is reached—such as a “partial shutdown” that protects the Department of Labor—Trump’s threat could be seen as a blunted blow.
ABC 7 also links to a policy analysis from the Brookings Institution that suggests that the president’s use of the shutdown threat could be a “risky political gamble.” The institution’s policy brief argues that the president is betting that a political crisis will force the Democrats to back down, but it warns that the backlash could undermine his future political aspirations.
6. Takeaway
Trump’s use of a government shutdown—particularly the threat of “Dole” firings—highlights how presidents can employ the executive branch’s staffing power as a political weapon. The ABC 7 article shows how this strategy is deeply intertwined with the broader budget impasse that has left the nation on the brink of a federal crisis. As lawmakers continue to debate a resolution, the stakes remain high: a shutdown could mean widespread job loss, economic damage, and a costly political fallout that could reverberate well beyond the current administration. The story is a stark reminder that the machinery of the federal government can be turned into a lever for political punishment, and that the consequences are real for the millions who depend on these jobs for their livelihoods.
Read the Full ABC7 Article at:
[ https://abc7.com/post/trump-uses-government-shutdown-dole-firings-political-punishment/17923313/ ]
