U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said federal workers could be fired and projects cut if a government shutdown continues, even as he suggested Americans might get rebate checks from new tariff revenues, writes Reuters.

“There could be firings, and that"s their fault”, Trump said of Democrats in Congress, when asked in an interview with OAN television network about a recent memo from the Office of Management and Budget that raised prospects of firings.

“We could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects, and they’d be permanently cut”, he said, adding, “I am allowed to cut things that should have never been approved in the first place and I will probably do that”.

The federal government partially shut down on Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal, with only essential services continuing.

Trump said revenues from new tariffs were just starting to kick in but could eventually reach USD 1 trillion a year. He said some of the funds would help pay down the government’s debt, which he said could reach USD 38 trillion. Trump’s tariff estimate far exceeds that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who last month said customs duty revenues from Trump’s tariffs could top USD 500 billion a year.