White House to furlough a third of its staff

The Trump administration is leaving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and much of the Office of Management and Budget untouched during a government shutdown that has sidelined tens of thousands of federal workers nationwide.

According to a contingency plan posted online Thursday, about one-third of White House staff will be sent home during the shutdown.

The Sept. 30 plan shows that 554 of the Executive Office of the President’s 1,733 employees will be furloughed, while 1,179 will continue working as Congress remains deadlocked over government funding.

Those allowed to remain at the White House are considered “excepted” because they handle emergency duties, hold presidential appointments, have Senate confirmation, or are otherwise exempt under federal law.

The plan also shows that 119 officials—including all 45 DOGE staff and 49 OMB employees—are exempt because their pay is drawn from sources outside annual appropriations.

The furlough breakdown highlights stark differences across offices within the White House complex.

OMB, led by Russ Vought—the Project 2025 architect and a key player in the administration’s shutdown strategy—will retain 437 of its 530 employees.

The Office of Administration, which manages much of the White House’s internal operations, will keep 177 staff while furloughing 91. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office will retain more than 200 employees, reflecting its central role in ongoing trade talks, a top priority for President Donald Trump.

DOGE, which rose to prominence early in Trump’s second term for spearheading large-scale workforce cuts, is one of the few offices in the Executive Office of the President unaffected by the shutdown. By contrast, smaller offices such as the Office of National Drug Control Policy will furlough 48 of its 56 staff.