President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders aimed at the federal workforce are sending shockwaves through the deep state—so much so that there’s a “dark mood” in federal agencies, as many are worried about their jobs or mulling over quitting.
“Just a few days into Trump’s second term, some federal workers are contemplating quitting,” reports Politico. “Others are preparing to file grievances with their unions or moving communications with each other to secure platforms like Signal. Some, fearing they’ll be caught up in the White House’s purge of diversity programs, are leaving their names off of memos and documents they worry could be labeled as DEI-adjacent.”
As these workers sift through Trump’s recent executive orders looking for any clues about their job security, a staffer from the Environmental Protection Agency shared that many are already clearing out their inboxes, waiting anxiously for updates on early retirement and buyout options. “Trump version 1.0 was bad,” lamented the EPA employee, “but I’m already done with version 2.0.”
Trump, within hours of returning to power, issued a slew of executive orders seeking to overhaul how the federal government operates, from removing job protections to ending remote work to implementing a hiring freeze. The reception inside the federal government has been uneasy. But especially worrisome to some employees was the White House’s decision on Tuesday to eliminate diversity programs, subsequently placing those staffers on administrative leave.
Imagine being bent out of shape over being told you actually have to show up for work. Covid is over -- is there any reason why people are still working remotely? Nevertheless, according to the report, the atmosphere in federal agencies “has been uneasy,” particularly following the order to abolish racist DEI programs, since hundreds were placed on leave.
We’re supposed to feel bad about this; I certainly don’t.
At the State Department, the shutdown of those programs was something many saw coming. But some were startled by the directive that they report individual cases of people’s job descriptions being changed to “disguise” the DEI element to a special Office of Personnel Management email address. Some saw it as an order to snitch on colleagues. Others, who prepared for Trump’s return to office, had begun working months ago with outside nonprofits to archive websites they feared would be taken down by the Trump administration — including information on ending gender-based violence around the world.
“I would love to leave, but I don’t know where I’d go, and I am terrified of not being able to pay rent and not having healthcare,” one State staffer said.
Ever heard of getting a different job? Real people do it all the time.
Related: Trump Made a Big Move Against the Deep State
In conversations with Politico, nearly two dozen federal employees shared their concerns, and many chose to speak under the radar to avoid potential repercussions. Will there actually be a mass exodus of federal workers? One can only dream, right? Maybe we’ll get lucky and the cold pool of Trump’s executive orders will cause significant shrinkage of the federal bureaucracy.
“Most of us are watching cautiously and letting the dust settle,” remarked an employee from the U.S. Agency for International Development. “We recognize there’s a wide range of possible outcomes, and while some are panicking, most are opting for a wait-and-see approach.”
Frankly, this is long overdue. Federal workers have gotten used to having cushy jobs with no accountability, and the era of bloated government has to end.
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