Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, his administration has started implementing major changes to the federal government. One of his main focus points has been shrinking the government by laying off huge masses of workers to increase efficiency and reduce government spending. As part of this initiative, the Trump administration plans to cut at least 10% of the federal workforce. However, some of the most controversial layoffs have been directed at employees who had previously criticized the president or investigated allegations against him, sparking debate over the morality of these layoffs.
This operation has been carried out by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is headed by the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire owner, Elon Musk. Musk’s involvement in the government, specifically his position as the head of DOGE, has made him a highly controversial figure. DOGE has announced that it aims to reduce wasteful costs and eliminate unnecessary procedures. While the administration’s intention of reducing wasted money and improving efficiency is appealing, the measures taken have raised worries about whether these cost-saving initiatives will weaken the quality of important services.
The layoffs have specifically targeted agencies that the government finds “unnecessary”, including the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, and the United States Agency for International Development, among many others. On Feb. 11, President Trump signed an executive order instructing agency heads to “coordinate and consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring to essential positions.” As a result, agencies are rethinking their staffing needs and the impact that this could have on their operations.
Following a request from Musk, millions of federal employees have been receiving emails from his team, demanding that they list their weekly accomplishments in five bullet points. To evaluate federal employees’ productivity, Musk called these emails “a basic pulse check”, following the notion that dead, or non-existent people may be on the federal government’s payroll, and claims that “there is outright fraud” occurring.
One of those affected by the layoffs is Jordan DiTusa, who was furloughed and told to go home without pay just two days into her role at USAID. DiTusa, who had provided support for USAID’s operations in West Africa, was emailed to stop working. In an interview with Eastside, DiTusa shared her grievances with the widespread layoffs of federal employees.
“Nobody knew what was going on… there was no warning,” she said, speaking of the shock and confusion that swept through her department. The decision has left her uncertain about her future and how to navigate the next few months with stability.
“It felt ridiculous that they were cutting jobs, especially in foreign aid programs that provide life-saving services like HIV treatment,” she added. When speaking on the potential long-term consequences, DiTusa said, “It’s going to make foreign governments distrustful… they’ll wonder if the U.S. will keep their word.”
As she searches for a new job, DiTusa believes that the layoffs are misguided and will have serious consequences, not just for the workers affected but also for the vulnerable communities around the world that depend on U.S. assistance. As she talks about the wide-range impacts of the layoffs, DiTusa puts it bluntly: “It’s literally costing people their lives.”