Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered federal agencies to prepare for significant staffing reductions, escalating efforts to slash the size of the U.S. government. At a recent cabinet meeting, entrepreneur Elon Musk took center stage, unveiling ambitious budget-cutting targets to top officials.
A new memorandum instructs agencies to submit plans by March 13 for “significant reductions” in their workforce. This directive comes as a blow to federal employees already facing waves of layoffs and program cuts initiated by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Thus far, layoffs have primarily impacted probationary workers with less tenure and fewer job protections. The upcoming rounds aim to target veteran civil servants, expanding the scope of workforce reductions.
During the cabinet meeting, Trump highlighted plans by Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, to cut up to 65% of the agency’s 15,000 employees. Similarly, sources within the Interior Department report that bureaus such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are preparing for workforce reductions as high as 40%.
To date, approximately 100,000 of the nation’s 2.3 million civilian federal workers have been laid off or accepted buyout offers.
Musk, not officially a cabinet-level official, was invited by Trump to discuss his efforts. While Musk is said to lead DOGE, the White House has clarified in court filings that he does not hold formal authority over the department. Nonetheless, Musk expressed confidence in cutting the $6.7 trillion federal budget by $1 trillion this year.
“We can streamline operations and eliminate unnecessary expenses,” Musk told the cabinet, emphasizing the need for efficiency.
Trump voiced strong support for Musk’s initiatives, signing an executive order directing agencies to collaborate with DOGE to review and terminate unnecessary contracts. The General Services Administration has also been instructed to develop a plan for disposing of unneeded government property.
Despite these efforts, government spending has not decreased. According to recent analyses, federal expenditures increased by 13% during Trump’s first month in office compared to the same period last year, largely due to higher interest payments on national debt and rising health and retirement costs.
President Trump reiterated his commitment to preserving popular health and retirement benefits, which constitute nearly half of the federal budget. “We’re not going to touch it,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, Republicans are considering cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs to offset the costs of extending the 2017 tax cuts, set to expire at the end of 2025. These tax cuts have been estimated to add trillions to the national debt over the next decade.
Adding to the tension, many federal workers received an unexpected email over the weekend, requiring them to list their weekly accomplishments. Musk stated that failure to respond could result in termination, explaining that the move was intended to ensure that government paychecks are going to active employees.
President Trump suggested that the approximately one million workers who did not respond to the email might be at risk of losing their jobs, signaling a potential further reduction in the federal workforce.
