Virginia’s Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who is the GOP nominee in the 2025 gubernatorial election despite not being endorsed by President Donald Trump, appeared on NBC News on Tuesday — with the government shutdown looming and amidst threats by the Trump administration to use the shutdown as an opportunity to drastically reduce the federal workforce.
Note: According to the U.S. Census, more than 320,000 full-time civilian federal employees live in Virginia. In July, Virginia had already seen a 3.4% reduction in federal civilian jobs compared to the previous year.
NBC News’s Peter Alexander said to Earle-Sears: “You recognize that obviously the President was getting rid of federal worker jobs even before the shutdown conversation existed.” He then asked the Republican candidate: “Would you tell President Trump not to fire any more federal workers?”
Earle-Sears, noncommittal, replied vaguely: “When is Senator Kaine and Warner going to stand up and say they agree with what you said, then they shouldn’t fire any federal workers.”
WATCH: Winsome Earle-Sears can’t answer the simple question if she’d speak up for Virginia workers.
“Would you tell President Trump not to fire any more federal workers?”
Virginians will continue to lose their jobs because Republicans refuse to speak up for them. #VAGov pic.twitter.com/27mLUitFUt
— American Bridge 21st Century (@American_Bridge) September 30, 2025
Reminding the Lt. Governor that the shutdown is not her first opportunity to petition the President about Virginia jobs, Alexander said, “As I made clear, the job firing started even before the situation we’re in now.”
Note: Last week, President Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, instructed federal agencies to prepare “reduction-in-force” (RIF) plans for mass firings if the government shuts down.
In a memo, Vought encouraged the agencies to use the shut down as an opportunity to consider RIF notices for all employees in programs, projects, or activities that are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
After the government shut down today, Earle-Sears’ Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, wrote today on social media: “The Trump Administration is already using this shutdown to fire even more federal workers — many of whom are Virginians. Trump has spent all year attacking our economy and our communities — and @winwithwinsome has done nothing but cheer him on. Virginia deserves better.”
The Trump Administration is already using this shutdown to fire even more federal workers — many of whom are Virginians.
Trump has spent all year attacking our economy and our communities — and @winwithwinsome has done nothing but cheer him on. Virginia deserves better. https://t.co/lR3GStaWFO
— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerForVA) October 1, 2025
Spanberger is also amplifying the NBC News interview and added: “When Trump’s DOGE fired thousands of Virginians, my opponent @winwithwinsome defended it. Trump is now threatening DOGE 2.0 and she’s again defending it. Now is the time to stand up for Virginia jobs — not encourage more mass layoffs.”