White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a brief gaggle outside the West Wing this morning, addressing the administration’s workforce reduction efforts and previewing a major economic announcement from President Donald Trump.

On whether the administration was satisfied with federal workers opting for deferred resignation, Leavitt said the program as a success.

“I’m not so sure that we didn’t hit the numbers we wanted. 75,000 people accepted the buyout program. That’s going to save millions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

Asked why the opt-in deadline had not been extended, Leavitt was firm. “We put a deadline on it, and the deadline was reached. 75,000 people accepted the offer.”

Beyond workforce reductions, the White House has two major news events today: the swearing-in of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump’s announcement on reciprocal tariffs, scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Oval Office.

“You’ll be hearing from the President of the United States directly on this in about two hours, so I will let him speak on it. He’s very excited about this reciprocal tariff announcement,” Leavitt told reporters.

“His team has been working on it for quite some time. You saw him Truth about it bright and early this morning, so he looks forward to seeing all of you in the Oval at one o’clock. We will see you then, and then we’re going to swear in RFK Jr.”

READ ALSO

Trump’s Day in Office: October 28, 2026

8:00 AM President Trump participates in Executive Time. 11:00 AM President Trump receives his Intelligence Briefing. 12:30 PM President Trump participates in a Policy Meeting. 1:30 PM President Trump greets the Artemis III Crew. 2:00 PM President Trump participates in a Policy Meeting. 3:30 PM President Trump participates in Signing Time. President Trump departs the White House en route to Chillicothe,…

Keep reading

Trump’s Day in Office: October 26, 2026

8:00 AM The president participates in executive time. 11:00 AM The president participates in a policy meeting. 11:45 AM The president participates in a policy meeting. 12:30 PM The president participates in a policy meeting. 1:30 PM The president meets with the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco. Time not specifiedThe president departs the White House for Corinth, Mississippi. Central Daylight Time (CDT) Time not specifiedThe president arrives in Corinth, Mississippi. 6:00 PM The president delivers remarks. Time not specifiedThe president departs Corinth, Mississippi, for the White House.

Keep reading

EXCLUSIVE: State Department Looks to Expand Partnership With Serbia’s Newly Elected Parliament

The State Department said Monday it has seen the preliminary Serbia election results, including former President Aleksandar Vucic’s concession, a spokesperson told The Pavlovic Today exclusively. “We welcome the Serbian people’s participation in their parliamentary elections,” the spokesperson said. “We have seen the preliminary results, including former President Vucic’s concession.” The State Department also signaled that Washington…

Keep reading

Credentialed by the White House, State Department, and U.S. Senate Press Galleries, The Pavlovic Today stands among an elite group of independent media organizations covering power at the highest level....