Shafaq News/ The Trump administration, backed by adviser Elon Musk, hasbegun a sweeping workforce reduction, terminating thousands of employees acrossmultiple agencies.
The layoffs, which primarilytarget probationary staff, have sparked outrage among unions and prompted legalchallenges over concerns about government oversight and national security.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) confirmed Thursday that itdismissed more than 1,000 of its 43,000 probationary employees, citing anestimated annual savings of $98 million.
“This was a tough decision, but ultimately, it’s the right call tobetter support the veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the departmentexists to serve,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has also laid off between 1,200 and 2,000employees, including 325 from the National Nuclear Security Administration(NNSA), which oversees the US nuclear arsenal.
However, some of these layoffs were partially rescinded due to concernsover maintaining the nuclear stockpile’s safety.
The US Forest Service has announced plans to dismiss around 3,400 recenthires, while the National Park Service is cutting approximately 1,000positions. Other agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), arepreparing for additional reductions ahead of the April 15 tax deadline, raisingconcerns over federal resource constraints.
Unions and federal employees reacted sharply to the mass terminations,accusing Musk of using his influence to push deregulation efforts that favorprivate industry.
“This is really about getting government out of the way of industry andincredibly wealthy individuals, which is why Musk is so enthusiastic about it,”said Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of FederalEmployees, which represents over 100,000 federal workers.
Critics argue that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)initiative—designed to streamline bureaucracy—has instead become an attempt todismantle civil-service protections. Reports indicate that nearly half ofprobationary workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have already lost their jobs, withmore cuts expected.
Nick Gioia, a veteran and former Department of Defense employee, wasamong those dismissed. “As a veteran, I feel like I’ve been betrayed by mycountry,” he said. “This feels like a game, with little regard for the reallives being affected.”
The administration’s downsizingis facing legal hurdles. Multiple unions have filed lawsuits, arguing thatMusk’s restructuring plan violates federal labor protections.
On Friday, a federal judge in New York extended a temporary restrainingorder preventing DOGE from accessing Treasury Department payment systems,marking a reprieve for some workers.
Attempts to fire employees in key national security sectors have alsofaced resistance. Some NNSA layoffs were reversed after concerns emerged overthe impact on nuclear weapons oversight, with legal experts questioning Musk’sunprecedented access to classified government data.
Despite the backlash, Musk remains publicly supportive of theinitiative. “This is about making the government work for the people, not theother way around,” he posted on X.
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