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A Republican senator was recently questioned about the mass layoffs of federal workers under the Trump administration. The response he gave to a former employee who lost his job was succinct and direct.
Indiana senator Jim Banks was walking briskly into an elevator when he was approached by a man holding a camera and berating him about staff cuts.
The ex-employee mentioned that he was part of a wave of layoffs that occurred after Trump took office, as part of his efforts to downsize the federal government and cut down on unnecessary spending.
During the interaction, the disgruntled worker, who identified himself as a former employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), expressed his frustration at being terminated unlawfully on February 14. He highlighted the impact of these layoffs on individuals relying on social service programs, particularly those with disabilities, and asked the senator if he planned to intervene to address the situation.
Instantly, Banks fired back, telling the man: ‘You probably deserved it.’
As the elevator doors closed, Banks rubbed salt in the wound, adding that the man ‘seems like a clown.’
Infuriated by the response, the person behind the camera repeatedly asked why he deserved it, adding: ‘Wow. That’s great to hear.’
A female companion chimed in, telling Banks his comment was ‘sad’, before noting: ‘Okay sir you shouldn’t have said that on [camera].’
As the elevator doors closed, Banks rubbed salt in the wound, adding that the man ‘seems like a clown’
The man said he was among the thousands of workers laid off since Trump returned to the White House as part of his sweeping pledge to cull the federal workforce and eliminate wasteful spending
‘That is not how US Senators should talk to civil servants. That is egregious,’ said critic Marissa D. Barrera – who once oversaw the health care portfolio for Bernie Sanders when he was Senate Budget Committee Chairman.
But Banks hit back with a social media post of his own, resharing the video with a short statement standing by his words.
‘Hard truth,’ he wrote, before ultimately changing his profile photo on X to be a snippet from the video of him smirking as the elevator doors closed.
Banks, an ardent supporter of Trump, previously criticized the the Health Department for celebrating Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day.
‘Glad this type of bulls*** will end on Jan 20! Can’t come soon enough,’ Banks replied to the HHS post.
The post on X read: ‘Today on Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day, everyone deserves to feel seen, respected and supported – no matter who they love. Create a world where everyone feels proud to be themselves!’
While the first tranche of employees at the massive Health and Human Services Department were let go in February, more learned their jobs had been cut on Tuesday.
Emails were sent out on Tuesday telling employees that their jobs were being eliminated.
Indiana senator Jim Banks was walking briskly into an elevator when he was approached by a man holding a camera and berating him about staff cuts
While the first tranche of employees at the massive Health and Human Services Department were let go in February, more learned their jobs had been cut on Tuesday
Banks, an ardent supporter of Trump, previously criticized the the Health Department for celebrating Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day
The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided US decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues.
‘The revolution begins today!’ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on social media.
He later added: ‘Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs’ but said that the department needs to be ‘recalibrated’ to emphasize disease prevention.
At the time of his announcement, it was anticipated that it would result in 20,000 fewer jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. About 10,000 were to be eliminated through layoffs.
Banks’ comeback comes days after he sparked fury among Democrat constituents by sending donuts instead of attending a town hall meeting they’d organized to air their grievances.
The 54,-year-old sent boxes of Parlor donuts and a film crew to the event, where he was represented by an empty chair filled with a cardboard cutout.
‘Hey guys, we got some donuts here courtesy of Senator Jim Banks,’ an unidentified staff member of Banks’ office told the crowd, which erupted in annoyed laughs.
‘I’m going to throw up on them,’ one woman yelled as he opened the boxes.
The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided US decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues
As one man dug into the treats, he told the staff member to tell Banks to ‘go to hell.’
‘Oh well, I’ll pass it along,’ the worker replied.
Banks was Indiana’s representative from the third district since 2017 before running for Senate in 2024. The seat was vacated by Mike Braun who ran for Indiana governor this cycle and won.
Kennedy has criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient ‘sprawling bureaucracy’ and said the department’s $1.7 trillion yearly budget ‘has failed to improve the health of Americans.’
He plans to streamline operations and fold entire agencies – including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — into a new Administration for a Healthy America.
On Friday, dozens of federal health employees working to stop infectious diseases from spreading were told they’d be put on leave.
Several current and former federal officials told the AP that the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy was hollowed out that night.
