Trump, Musk Overhaul Federal Workforce, Thousands Fired Across U.S. Agencies

Thousands of US government workers were fired on Thursday as President Donald Trump and CEO Elon Musk started up their sacking of the federal bureaucracy. The terminations, covering probationary workers and contract workers, were across various departments, such as Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the U.S. Forest Service.

More than 1,000 probationary employees have been let go by the VA while the Forest Service is set to cut 3,400 workers, not including firefighters. Those with termination notices include employees at the Department of Education, Small Business Administration (SBA), and General Services Administration (GSA). Reports are that firings at CFPB went far beyond probationary staff, and included full-time employees with fixed-term contracts.

Musk’s role in the restructuring has drawn questions about the massive expansion of his influence over the Trump administration. His cost-cutting effort, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has placed personnel in 16 agencies, allowing for access to sensitive financial and personnel data. As for Thursday, DOGE operatives swarmed the IRS, alarming of large-scale layoffs inside the tax-gathering agency.

The government restructuring as a plan to slash waste, has faced legal challenges. Fourteen states have taken to the courts, suing that Musk’s appointment was illegal. Even though there is mounting criticism, the White House announced that close to 75,000 federal employees have taken voluntary buyouts, which is 3% of the civilian workforce.

The government says the dismissals fit with its goal to cut government when not required. Yet say critics it also leaves already-vulnerable public services in disarray as it did for staff at the Department of Education, SBA and others.

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