President Donald Trump’s administration has set a Thursday deadline for 2.3 million federal employees to decide whether to resign or accept new work conditions, sparking nationwide protests and legal challenges.
At a Glance
- Trump administration offers federal employees resignation with 8 months pay or new work conditions
- Elon Musk leads Department of Government Efficiency, aims to save $4 billion daily by 2026
- 20,000 to 40,000 federal workers have accepted the resignation offer so far
- AFGE union sues Trump administration over buyout program’s legality
- Nationwide protests erupt against the president’s reforms
Trump’s Ultimatum to Federal Workforce
In a sweeping move to reshape the federal government, the Trump administration has given 2.3 million federal employees an ultimatum: resign with eight months of pay and benefits or accept new work conditions, including mandatory in-office work. This initiative is part of Trump’s plan to reduce the federal workforce and replace perceived hostile bureaucrats with loyalists.
“Everybody’s replaceable, and we’ll get very good people to replace them if it turns out to be more than we thought,” President Donald Trump said.
Harsh, but true.
The buyout plan mirrors Elon Musk’s approach at Twitter, where he downsized the workforce by 80%. Musk, now leading the Department of Government Efficiency, aims to save $4 billion daily by fiscal year 2026. The offer has been extended to nearly all federal agencies, including the CIA, causing alarm due to the short decision timeframe.
(1/4) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐰, 𝐄𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭
Recent actions taken by the Trump administration — including the “Fork in the Road” email pressuring federal employees to resign, the attempted… pic.twitter.com/JSbVQcH3L2
— Jimmy D, life curator (@th3donut) February 4, 2025
Between 20,000 to 40,000 federal workers have opted for the deferred resignation program, with expectations of increased participation before the deadline. However, the annual attrition rate among federal employees is about 6%, suggesting some may have planned to leave regardless.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has sued the Trump administration, questioning the legality of the buyout program. “We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con,” AFGE President Everett Kelley stated.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine warned employees, “Don’t be fooled. He’s tricked hundreds of people with that offer. If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed the contractors.”
Musk’s Role and Government Access
Elon Musk and his team have taken control of federal IT infrastructure, gaining access to personal data of federal employees. This move has raised concerns about privacy and data security. Additionally, Musk announced plans to upgrade the nation’s air traffic control system for safety, coinciding with an investigation into a recent crash involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet.
“That’s DOGE signaling to you that they’ve got a plan of how to take the personnel down,” Steve Bannon commented, referring to the administration’s strategy.
Musk’s team has also accessed NOAA’s computer systems to identify programs related to diversity policies, which the Trump administration aims to eliminate. This action aligns with the administration’s broader goal of ending diversity initiatives across federal agencies.
Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal government size have been supported by leading Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the initiative, stating, “That is a long overdue, much welcome development.” However, the reforms have sparked nationwide protests against the president, with thousands participating across the country.
