Mass firings begin as Trump, Musk purge U.S. government
STORY: :: February 11, 2025
MUSK: "So all of our actions are maximally transparent..."
As U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk accelerate their purge of America's federal bureaucracy, mass firings at multiple U.S. government agencies have begun.
That's according to union sources and employees who spoke to Reuters.
In the past 48 hours, termination emails have been sent to scores of government workers at agencies including the Education Department, Small Business Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, consisting mostly of recently hired employees still on probation.
:: February 12, 2025
REPORTER: 'How soon do you want the Department of Education to be closed?'
TRUMP: 'Oh, I'd like it to be closed immediately. Look, the Department of Education's a big con job.'
The firings come as Trump has tasked Musk and members of his Department of Government Efficiency - or DOGE - to undertake a massive downsizing of the 2.3 million-strong civilian federal workforce and the potential shuttering of entire government agencies.
The unprecedented cost-cutting initiative has sown panic among federal workers in the U.S. capital and sparked public protests.
:: February 11, 2025
Maryland Senator Angela Alsobrooks:
"...for anyone who's wondering, these jobs are not Republican jobs or Democratic jobs. They're American jobs."
Trump has pressed ahead despite a barrage of lawsuits from labor unions and Democratic attorneys general
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, about 75,000 workers have signed up for the buyout so far, which is equal to 3% of the civilian workforce.
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