Trump and Musk’s radical federal downsizing effort has resulted in over 9,500 job cuts, agency shutdowns, and mounting legal challenges, leaving fired employees in shock and critics questioning the broader implications. (x/@RollingStone )
Washington D.C.: In a bold move to streamline bureaucracy, US President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk initiated a mass layoff of federal employees on Friday, with more than 9,500 workers losing their jobs. The cuts, which impact key government agencies handling federal lands, military veterans’ care, and financial oversight, are part of a larger effort to reshape the federal workforce.
The layoffs have primarily affected employees at the Departments of Interior, Energy, Veteran Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. Many of those dismissed were probationary staffers in their first year, making them vulnerable to termination due to limited employment protections. The downsizing has also rendered some agencies nearly defunct, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which functioned as an independent watchdog. Even fixed-term contract employees have been impacted by the cuts. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly preparing to lay off thousands more workers next week. Sources suggest this move could be aimed at squeezing resources ahead of the April 15 income tax filing deadline.
The White House confirmed that these layoffs come in addition to the 75,000 workers who accepted a buyout option offered by Trump and Musk to exit voluntarily—an amount equal to approximately 3% of the 2.3 million civilian federal workforce. President Trump has justified the decision, citing the nation's mounting $36 trillion debt and last year’s $1.8 trillion deficit. “Too much money has been lost to waste and fraud,” he said, reinforcing his administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline. However, congressional Democrats have accused Trump of overstepping legislative authority, while most Republicans have stood by the drastic reforms.
Elon Musk, who co-chairs the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has become a key architect of these cuts. While Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent compared Musk’s role to a financial audit, many critics argue that his approach lacks the necessary experience and is driven more by ideology than cost-cutting.
“These are serious people, they’re going from agency to agency, doing an audit, looking for best practices,” Bessent told Fox Business Network. However, many question whether Musk’s team, made up largely of young engineers with little government experience, is equipped to handle such a sweeping overhaul.
The abrupt job terminations have left many workers reeling. Nick Gioia, a former Army veteran who had served in the Department of Defense for 17 years before transitioning to the USDA’s Economic Research Service in December, was among those fired. “I've done a lot for my country, and as a veteran who served, I feel like I've been betrayed,” Gioia said. “This doesn’t have anything to do with government efficiency. It’s a game.” He also criticized Musk’s public comments, adding, “To sit here and watch Musk tweet about how he thinks he’s doing a great job, he doesn’t realize what he’s doing to people’s lives.”
Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, echoed these concerns. He pointed out that Musk, whose company SpaceX holds major government contracts, has a vested interest in reducing federal regulations. “This is about getting the government out of the way of industry and incredibly rich people,” he said. “That’s why Musk is so excited about this.”
While Trump and Musk continue their push to dismantle civil service protections, lawsuits have started piling up. Federal worker unions have filed legal actions to block the buyout plan and mass layoffs. Additionally, three federal judges are set to review whether Musk’s DOGE team should have access to Treasury Department payment systems and sensitive government data from health, labor, and consumer protection agencies. Reports indicate that DOGE staffers have already gained entry to personnel and financial records across 16 government agencies, sparking further legal scrutiny.
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