How Dare Donald Trump Decide Who Deserves a Paycheck?

When Donald Trump announced that some furloughed federal employees “don’t deserve to be taken care of,” he didn’t just insult America’s public servants—he took aim at the very principle of government accountability. This latest controversy unfolded in early October 2025, during the now-historic federal government shutdown—the longest and most politically charged since 2019.

The shutdown, sparked by partisan battles over spending priorities and the administration’s controversial “East Wing renovation” plan, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. As pay periods passed, agencies closed, and bills piled up, the nation watched federal employees once again bear the brunt of Washington’s dysfunction.

Then came Trump’s remarks. Asked whether furloughed workers would receive back pay once the shutdown ended, Trump replied:

“I would say it depends on who we’re talking about … For the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.” ¹

Those words, reported by Government Executive, Reuters, and The Washington Post, were followed by a draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) suggesting that furloughed employees might not automatically receive back pay—directly contradicting the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. ² ³ ⁴ That law, which Trump himself signed, explicitly guarantees retroactive pay for all federal employees affected by a shutdown.

This is not a gray area of policy. It’s black and white. The law says they must be paid. No president—Republican, Democrat, or otherwise—has the authority to unilaterally decide that some workers “don’t deserve” compensation for time they were forced off the job by political gridlock.

Let’s not forget who these workers are. They are the Transportation Security Administration officers who screen passengers at airports. The custodians who keep federal buildings clean and safe. The data analysts who track disease outbreaks, and the scientists who safeguard our environment. Many live paycheck to paycheck, and each day of shutdown pushes them closer to financial ruin.

For Trump to sit in the White House and talk about which employees “deserve” pay while he pushes for a $250 million taxpayer-funded expansion of the East Wing and a new ballroom ⁵ is beyond hypocrisy—it’s cruelty wrapped in self-interest. Somehow, he’s managed to find the money for marble floors, chandeliers, and a grand ballroom, yet he “can’t seem” to find the funds to pay the very people who keep this nation running.

And that includes the men and women in uniform. The fact that he can fund a luxurious construction project while military service members and their families are left waiting for paychecks tells you everything about his priorities. To elevate personal vanity projects over the basic needs of federal employees and the armed forces isn’t just tone-deaf—it’s disgraceful. It reveals a president more interested in his own reflection than in the welfare of the country he swore to serve.

Congress must draw a line. Every furloughed worker should receive their back pay, without exception, delay, or political gamesmanship. Anything less isn’t just an insult to federal employees—it’s a betrayal of the very idea of public service.

Because in America, a president is supposed to serve the people, not decide who among them is “worthy” of a paycheck.

Footnotes

1. Government Executive – “Trump says he can pick and choose which feds get back pay.” Details Trump’s October 2025 statement claiming some furloughed workers “don’t deserve” to be paid after the shutdown.

2. The Washington Post – “OMB memo questions guaranteed back pay after shutdown.” Reports that the Office of Management and Budget circulated a memo suggesting back pay isn’t automatically guaranteed, contradicting federal law.

3. Reuters – “Trump administration questions automatic back pay for furloughed workers.” Confirms that Trump’s administration sought legal justification to deny automatic back pay to furloughed employees.

4. Wikipedia – “Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019.” Provides background on the law guaranteeing back pay to federal workers affected by any government shutdown since December 2018.

5. Associated Press (AP News) – “Trump pushes $250 million East Wing expansion, including new ballroom.” Describes the administration’s controversial plan to expand the East Wing while federal employees and military personnel go unpaid.