US President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified its push to downsize the federal workforce, issuing new directives for large-scale layoffs and continuing the ambitious government overhauꦬl championed by billionaire Elon Musk.
On Wednesday, a memo circulated to federal agencies mandated that they submit plans by March 13 detailing significa♛nt staffing reductions. Although the memo did not specify how many worke♋rs would be affected, it marks a major escalation in Trump’s and Musk’s efforts to shrink the US government.
Federal employees, already reeling from job cuts and program slashes, nꦺow face a new round of downsizing, with probationary workers – who have less job security – targeted in ♑earlier rounds. The next phase, however, will focus on a much larger group of veteran civil servants.
At the first cabinet meeting since the memo was issued, Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), took centre stage to discuss his ambitious goal of cutting the federal budget by $1 trillion in the coming year. Wearing a black “Make America Great Again” cap and a "tech support" T-shirt, Musk expressed confidence in his ability to♒ meet this target, despite the potential disruption it could cause to essential government programs.
Trump, who has repeatedly backed Musk’s overhaul efforts, reinforced this support, ꦡgiving the Tesla and SpaceX CEO the floor during the meeting and even humorously asking, “Is anyone unhappy with Elon?” A few scattered laughs followed though the room wꦉas mostly silent.
As part of the administration's continuing budget-cutting measures, Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring federal agencies to collaborate with DOGE in reviewing and terminating all "unnecessary" contracts. Additionally, the General Services Administrati🌱on (GSA) was tasked with creating a plan to dispose of unused government properties.
The memo from𓄧 the administration marks the latest move🎃 in an ongoing effort to cut down on federal spending. Yet, the Trump-Musk strategy has been met with mixed results so far. Despite significant budget proposals, the US government’s spending has increased by 13% in Trump’s first month compared to the same time last year, largely due to higher interest payments and the rising costs of health and retirement benefits for an aging population.
Amid the ongoing budget discussions, President Trump has pledged not to touch popular health and retirement benefits, which accountꦬ for neဣarly half of the nation’s spending. "We’re not going to touch it," Trump assured cabinet officials during the meeting.
Meanwhile, Trump has called on Congress to extend his 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. According to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the tax cuts have already added $2.5 trillion to the national debt, now totaling $36 trillion. Extending these cuts could cost an additional $5 trillion over the next decade, raising questions about how the administration plans to balance such deficits without ไcutting vital programs.
The recent changes have not been without controversy. On the weekend prior to the cabinet meeting, federal workers received♌ an unexpected email demanding that they list their weekly accomplishments, with Musk threatening job termination for those who did not comply. This demand led to confusion aไcross federal agencies, as some departments instructed employees to ignore the request.
Musk, in his remarks, explained that the email was part of an effort to ensure that taxpayer money was being spent on active, productive workers. “We think there are a number of people on the government payroll who are dead,” Musk quipped, although he provided no evidence to back this claim. Trump echoed Musk’s sentiment, suggesting that the💖 approximately 1 million employees who failed to respond to the email may be at risk of losing their jobs.
The ongoing overhaul has already led to significant disruptions, including the canc⛄ellation of nearly 10,000 grants and contracts by the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The GSA, known informally as the government’s landlord, also plans to terminate approximately 1,100 office leases by the end of the year, further complicating the government's operations.
