Mass firings begin as Trump, Musk move to slash federal workforce

Mass firings have begun across U.S. federal agencies, marking the Trump administration’s first major step toward dramatically downsizing the government. Employees at the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration (SBA) were among the first to be terminated, according to federal employees and union sources.

Until now, federal workers had only been placed on paid administrative leave. The dismissals follow a federal judge’s decision to allow the administration’s deferred resignation program to move forward. Roughly 75,000 employees have accepted the offer, allowing them to leave their jobs while continuing to receive pay through September.

A termination notice obtained by CNN and sent to Department of Education employees stated: *“The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.”* The firings have impacted employees across various departments, including the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, which supports programs for children with disabilities, and the Federal Student Aid office. A union source reported hearing from dozens of terminated employees, though the full scope remains unclear.

Similar termination letters were sent to SBA employees on Tuesday. Internal emails revealed that probationary employees had first received draft notices of termination, which were later rescinded, before receiving official termination letters the following day.

The mass dismissals have been in motion since Inauguration Day when the acting head of the Office of Personnel Management ordered agencies to compile lists of probationary workers, noting that they could be more easily terminated.

The firings are part of the administration’s broader effort to shrink the federal workforce. In addition to the deferred resignation program, Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to prepare for widespread layoffs. His administration is also pushing to end telework arrangements, requiring employees to return to the office full-time, and has targeted staff working in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives across multiple agencies, including the Education Department, USAID, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.