The national economic adviser of the White House, Kevin Hassett, talks to journalists from the Western Wile alley to the White House in Washington, DC, United States, August 27, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The director of the National Council of the White House, Kevin Hassett, said on Sunday that dismissals for federal employees would begin if President Donald Trump decides that the negotiations of the Congress to end the closure of the government “is not absolutely nowhere”.
“I think everyone always hopes that when we take a new start at the start of the week, we can lead the Democrats to see that it is just the common sense to avoid layoffs like that,” said Hassett on “State of the Union” of CNN.
His comments arise while the government closure enters its fifth day, without clear neckline in sight.
Democrats hold their grounds on their requests for health care, pushing to include a permanent extension of tax credits for improved premiums in any legislation of government financing.
Republicans, however, argue that these conversations should occur in December – and not in the government’s closure negotiations – degenerating the dead end.
Democrats continue to dig their requests while the closure enters a new week.
The Trump administration has repeatedly warned mass dismissals when government closure, saying last week that they would be “imminent”.
Trump also said that the closure had offered him an “unprecedented opportunity” to reduce the size of federal agencies and to set up government employees, although the administration has not yet followed his threat.
Hassett said on Sunday that Trump and the Director of the Russ Management and Budget Office “align things and prepare to act if they should, but hoping that they don’t”.
However, Hassett expressed his optimism that negotiations this week could resolve the dead end.
“We believe that the Democrats, there is a chance that they are reasonable once they will be returned to town on Monday,” said Hassett on CNN.
“And if they are, then I think there is no reason for these layoffs.”