The winds of change are sweeping through Washington as US President Donald Trump and his newly minted adviser Elon Musk spearhead an audacious plan to restructure the federal workforce.

Mass layoffs have commenced across multiple government agencies, fulfilling Trump’s long-standing promise to downsize bureaucracy and eliminate what he refers to as the “deep state”.

Massive layoffs across departments

The first wave of terminations has disproportionately affected probationary employees – those still within their trial period – across key departments such as Education, Small Business Administration, and Energy.

Official termination letters, reviewed by Reuters and USA TODAY, cite “public interest” as the rationale for dismissals.

The Department of Education, a frequent target of Trump’s criticisms, saw at least 160 recent hires dismissed. Calling the agency a “con job,” Trump has reiterated his intent to shut it down entirely.

Employees across multiple divisions, including special education, rehabilitation services, and federal student aid, were among those receiving termination notices.

Similarly, the SBA handed out dismissals to dozens of probationary staff members, initially backtracking on the terminations before reinstating them en masse.

At the General Services Administration, which oversees federal real estate and procurement, about 100 employees received notices on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a union source reported an undisclosed number of layoffs at the Energy Department, though details remain scarce.

Also Read: Elon Musk, DOGE order massive layoffs at federal HR office

Inside Musk’s so-called ‘workforce optimisation initiative’

Trump’s executive order, signed with Musk by his side in the Oval Office, mandates department heads to implement “large-scale reductions in force”.

The initiative, driven by Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, aims to cut costs by aggressively eliminating roles deemed unnecessary.

The Musk-led efficiency drive has already taken sweeping action, dismantling agencies such as the US Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The latest move saw Musk slash nearly US$1 billion in contracts within the Department of Education, effectively crippling its independent research wing.

Speaking remotely at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Musk revealed his radical approach:

“If you don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”

His vision includes scrapping entire agencies rather than implementing piecemeal cuts.

The ‘Fork in the Road’ buyout programme

To further reduce federal headcount, the Trump administration introduced an incentivised resignation scheme, offering employees eight months of pay and benefits in exchange for their voluntary departure.

This strategy, dubbed the ‘Fork in the Road’ programme, initially faced legal challenges but was upheld by US District Judge George O’Toole Jr this week.

Despite expectations that up to 10% of federal employees might opt for the package, uptake has been lower than anticipated, with only 75,000 workers, or roughly 3.3% of the total federal workforce, accepting the offer.

But with voluntary exits falling short of White House targets, the risk of compulsory layoffs looms large.

Also Read: White House targeting job cuts in health services: reports

Political and legal ramifications

The aggressive cuts have triggered backlash from federal employee unions.

Everett Kelley, head of the American Federation of Government Employees, called the ruling a setback in their fight for fairness and dignity.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the decision, stating: “This goes to show that ‘lawfare’ will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities.”

The battle over the federal workforce is also escalating into a constitutional clash, as the administration’s willingness to comply with judicial rulings remains uncertain.

With the Supreme Court likely to be drawn into the fray, the situation could set the stage for a prolonged legal showdown.

A tumultuous road ahead for the federal government

As the dust settles on this latest round of federal shakeups, one thing is clear: the Trump-Musk partnership is determined to rewrite the rules of governance.

With Trump vowing to shut down the Department of Education “immediately” and Senate hearings looming for education secretary nominee Linda McMahon, the coming weeks promise more upheaval in Washington.

For federal employees, a few options remain: adapt, exit, unionise or risk being shown the door.