Trump & Musk shake up US agencies: 10,000 workers laid off
President Donald Trump and advisor Elon Musk fired over 9,500 federal workers on Friday, intensifying efforts to trim government bureaucracy. The layoffs hit employees handling federal lands, veteran care, energy, agriculture, and healthcare. Many were probationary staffers with limited job protections.
Some agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), have effectively shut down. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to lay off thousands next week, a move seen as tightening resources before the April 15 tax deadline. The White House confirmed these cuts follow 75,000 voluntary buyouts, reducing the 2.3 million civilian workforce by 3%.
Trump justified the layoffs, citing $36 trillion in national debt and a $1.8 trillion deficit. While Republicans backed the cuts, Democrats accused him of overstepping congressional spending authority.
Musk, leading the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), wields growing influence in Trump’s administration. His team, mostly young engineers with little government experience, is aggressively cutting jobs, raising concerns about ideological motives rather than cost-saving measures.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent compared DOGE’s work to an audit, saying they are assessing agencies for efficiency. However, fired employees expressed outrage. Army veteran Nick Gioia, who lost his job at the USDA, called it a betrayal. Union leader Steve Lenkart warned that Musk aims to remove government oversight to benefit big businesses.
The mass firings have sparked lawsuits. Federal worker unions sued to block buyouts, and courts may decide whether Musk’s team can access sensitive Treasury, health, and labor data. Despite legal challenges, Musk’s staff has already entered 16 agencies, reshaping the federal workforce at an unprecedented pace.
