ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump, with the support of adviser Elon Musk, escalated efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy on Friday by dismissing more than 9,500 government employees. The layoffs affected personnel across multiple agencies, including the Departments of Interior, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, impacting roles ranging from land management to veteran care.
The majority of those let go were probationary employees within their first year of service, who have fewer job protections. Some agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were almost entirely dismantled, with cuts also hitting employees on fixed-term contracts.
Next week, the Internal Revenue Service is expected to lay off thousands more employees, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move comes just as Americans approach the April 15 tax filing deadline, raising concerns about potential disruptions.
These firings—first reported by Reuters and other major news outlets—come on top of the estimated 75,000 workers who accepted voluntary buyouts under a Trump-Musk initiative. The White House stated this accounts for roughly 3% of the federal civilian workforce, which totals 2.3 million employees.
A Divisive Restructuring
Trump argues that the federal government is bloated and plagued by waste and fraud. With the national debt exceeding $36 trillion and last year’s deficit at $1.8 trillion, there is bipartisan agreement that reforms are needed. However, congressional Democrats claim Trump is overstepping legislative authority on federal spending. Meanwhile, Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, have largely supported the move.
Critics have questioned Musk’s aggressive approach. As the world’s richest man, Musk wields significant influence in Trump’s administration, particularly through the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the cuts, likening Musk’s efforts to a financial audit. “These are serious professionals conducting reviews across agencies, identifying inefficiencies and best practices,” he told Fox Business Network.
However, Musk is relying on a group of young engineers with minimal government experience, and their decisions appear to be motivated more by ideology than cost-cutting, according to critics.
Workers React: ‘I’ve Been Betrayed by My Country’
Many federal employees expressed shock at their abrupt dismissals.
“I’ve served my country as a veteran and a federal worker, and now I feel completely betrayed,” said Nick Gioia, an Army veteran who spent 17 years at the Department of Defense before joining the USDA’s Economic Research Service in December. He was fired late Thursday.
Gioia, who has a child with epilepsy, described the layoffs as political maneuvering. “This isn’t about efficiency. It’s a game. And Musk, tweeting about how great he’s doing, has no idea how many lives he’s disrupting.”
Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees union, believes the layoffs are part of a broader effort to deregulate industry. “This is about getting the government out of the way for corporations and billionaires like Musk. That’s why he’s so invested in this,” Lenkart said.
Nuclear Cuts and Agency Overhauls
Between 1,200 and 2,000 employees at the Department of Energy were dismissed, including 325 from the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nation’s nuclear stockpile. However, some of those layoffs were partially reversed to retain critical security personnel, sources told Reuters.
The Department of the Interior, which manages 500 million acres of public land—including national parks and oil and gas leases—fired 2,300 employees. An unspecified number of workers at the Department of Agriculture were also let go.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut nearly 1,300 employees—about a third of its workforce—according to the Associated Press. Other affected agencies include Veterans Affairs, Education, and the Small Business Administration.
The Office of Personnel Management, which oversees federal hiring, reportedly instructed agencies to lay off newer employees with limited job protections.
Growing Internal Frustration
The speed and scale of Musk’s restructuring have created friction within the Trump administration. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has expressed frustration over the lack of coordination, sources told Reuters.
Trump and Musk’s push for broader civil-service reform has led to additional lawsuits, including legal challenges to the voluntary buyout program. Meanwhile, the administration has frozen most U.S. foreign aid and attempted to shutter certain agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Security and Privacy Concerns
Musk’s DOGE team has been embedded in at least 16 federal agencies, where they have gained access to personnel and financial records, triggering alarm over potential privacy violations.
Three federal judges will soon decide whether Musk’s team should have access to sensitive Treasury Department data related to health, labor, and consumer protection agencies. Additionally, the Treasury Department’s inspector general has launched an audit of the government’s payment systems in response to concerns raised by Democratic lawmakers.
With mass layoffs continuing and legal battles mounting, the future of Trump and Musk’s radical government overhaul remains uncertain.
