• Mass layoffs affected multiple departments including the Interior, Energy, and Veterans Affairs, with more cuts planned at the IRS.
  • An additional 75,000 workers accepted voluntary buyouts, representing about 3% of the civilian workforce.
  • The initiative faces legal challenges and criticism over Musk's role and his team's lack of government experience

The Trump administration has executed its largest federal workforce reduction, terminating over 9,500 government employees across multiple departments in a sweeping effort to reduce bureaucracy.

The initiative, led by President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has particularly impacted workers at the Departments of Interior, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.

The layoffs, which primarily affected probationary employees in their first year of service, come alongside a voluntary buyout program that has already seen 75,000 workers leave their positions - approximately 3% of the federal government's 2.3 million civilian workforce.

The Internal Revenue Service is reportedly preparing for thousands more layoffs next week, just before the April 15 tax filing deadline.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the initiative, comparing Musk's DOGE to a financial audit, while critics point to the inexperience of DOGE's young engineering team and question their motives.

"I feel like this is just a game," said Nick Gioia, a veteran and former Department of Defense employee who lost his position at the USDA's Economic Research Service.

The decision has sparked legal challenges, with federal worker unions filing lawsuits to block the buyout plan.

Three federal judges are set to consider whether Musk's team should have access to Treasury Department payment systems and sensitive data at various agencies.

The dramatic reduction in the federal workforce comes as Trump cites concerns over the government's $36 trillion debt and $1.8 trillion deficit.

While Congressional Republicans have largely supported the moves, Democrats argue that Trump is overstepping constitutional boundaries regarding government spending authority.

Edited By Annette George