Major union and advocacy group condemn mass firing of probationary employees
The largest federal employee union as well as an advocacy group for the government workforce have condemned the Trump administration’s move to fire employees in their probationary period.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, accused the Trump administration of targeting workers new in their positions simply because they want to get rid of them:
This administration has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office.
These firings are not about poor performance – there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants. They are about power. They are about gutting the federal government, silencing workers, and forcing agencies into submission to a radical agenda that prioritizes cronyism over competence.
And Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, said that the move could be crippling to workforce’s future functionality:
The Trump administration’s decision to fire civil servants who have been in service for under a year is yet another profoundly damaging action. With just over 7% of federal employees under age 30, our government needs a new generation of workers with the necessary skills to better serve the needs of our modern society. By terminating employees simply because they are the most vulnerable, the Trump administration has just thrown away our down payment on the future. Many of those who lost their jobs today were newer hires made in areas of great need for our government, including AI, cybersecurity, and technology. It is ultimately our country that will pay a heavy price for this arbitrary dismantling of the civil service.
Key events
Trump to sign executive order barring federal funding for schools with Covid vaccine mandates
Donald Trump will soon sign an executive order cutting off federal funding for schools and universities that require students receive a Covid-19 vaccine to attend class in person, a White House official said.
The president is scheduled to sign executive orders right about now, without press in attendance, though that could change.
The order satisfies a campaign promise from Trump, and will also direct Robert F Kennedy Jr, the newly sworn in secretary of health and human services, to “provide a plan to end coercive Covid-19 vaccine mandates”, according to Breitbart News, which first reported on the order.
Shortly after taking office, Trump ordered officials to reinstate a small number of military personnel who had been fired for refusing to take the vaccine. Here’s a look back at that:
Here’s more from the Guardian’s Joanna Walters about the Trump administration’s decision to drop charges against New York mayor Eric Adams, which has prompted a cascade of resignations at the justice department:
Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor and five high-ranking justice department officials have resigned amid a scandal over orders from above to drop corruption charges against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, in exchange for his cooperating with Donald Trump’s administration over immigration crackdowns.
The senior prosecutor, interim US attorney for the southern district of New York Danielle Sassoon, and the acting US deputy attorney general, Emil Bove, formerly a personal lawyer to Trump, then exchanged stinging letters over the order from Bove to drop the federal criminal case against Adams.
The events unfolding late on Thursday were a stunning escalation in a days-long standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability and also coincided with Adams talking to the so-called “border czar”, Tom Homan, about allowing federal immigration agents to set up an office at a city jail in violation of sanctuary city laws.
Sassoon, a Republican with conservative credentials, resigned on Thursday accusing the Department of Justice of acceding to a “quid pro quo” – dropping the case to ensure Adams’s help with Trump’s immigration agenda. She stood up for the federal criminal indictment that came down against Adams last year as his mayoralty spiraled into crisis with allegations that he accepted illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks worth more than $100,000 while serving in his previous job as Brooklyn borough president. He has pleaded not guilty. Trump has said he would consider a pardon for Adams.
Reuters is reporting that a federal prosecutor has agreed to file a motion to dismiss the criminal corruption charges against the New York City mayor, Eric Adams.
According to Reuters, which is citing “sources briefed on the matter”, the decision was made in bid to spare other career staff from potentially being fired by the acting deputy attorney general.
Reuters also reports that the decision came amid pressure from the acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove, who imposed a one-hour deadline on all public integrity attorneys on Friday to decide among themselves who would file the motion.
Another prosecutor involved in the corruption case against the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, resigned on Friday, the seventh federal prosecutor resignation related to the justice department’s efforts to dismiss the charges against Adams.
In a resignation letter to the acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove, Hagan Scotten, an assistant US attorney, who was the lead prosecutor on the federal corruption case against Adams, wrote that any federal prosecutor “would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials”.
He added: “If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me.”
Two Senate Democrats have written to Donald Trump requesting the reinstatement of the inspector general for the US Agency for International Development (USAid), calling his firing illegal.
The Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen and Gary Peters expressed their concerns in a letter to Trump, stating that the firing of the inspector general Paul Martin without justification seemed to be an act of retaliation, according to the Associated Press.
Shaheen and Peters say the law requires 30 days’ notice to Congress and a reason.
Democratic attorneys general condemn Vance’s judiciary remarks
A coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general have issued a statement condemning vice-president JD Vance’s recent remarks that judges are not allowed to control the president’s “legitimate power”.
Vance’s comments came after several federal judges issued rulings temporarily blocking some of Donald Trump’s most contentious executive orders.
“The vice-president’s statement is as wrong as it is reckless. As chief law enforcement officers representing the people of 17 states, we unequivocally reject the vice-president’s attempt to spread this dangerous lie” the statement from the attorneys general reads.
“Judges do not ‘control’ executive power. Judges stop the unlawful and unconstitutional exercise of power” it adds.
The statement continues, and states that “as Attorneys General, we will carefully scrutinize each and every action taken by this administration. If the constitution or federal law is violated, we will not hesitate to act.”
The signatories include the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
The Democratic Georgia senator Jon Ossoff has criticized the Trump administration’s decision to cut nearly 10% of the employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a statement, Ossoff said:
President Trump’s indefensible, indiscriminate firing of more than 1,000 CDC personnel in a single day leaves Americans exposed to disease and devastates careers and livelihoods for the world’s most talented doctors and scientists, many of them here in Georgia.
The CDC, located in Atlanta, Georgia, was notified on Friday morning that it would lose approximately 10% of its workforce due to the Trump administration’s order to terminate all employees still in their probationary period, as reported by the Associated Press.
A new survey found that a majority of Americans say it would be “too risky” to grant Donald Trump more power and expressed concerns about expanding presidential power.
The new survey of about 5,000 US adults, published by Pew Research on Friday, found that 65% of participants said that it would be “too risky” to give Trump more power to deal directly with many of the nation’s problems.
Only 33% agreed with the idea that “many of the country’s problems could be dealt with more effectively if Trump didn’t have to worry so much about Congress or the courts.”
And even more Americans – 78% – expressed concerns about expanding presidential power when asked about US presidents in general.
The day so far
The Trump administration is pressing on with its plans to dramatically downsize the government’s workforce, by targeting employees in their probationary periods at a variety of agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will reportedly lose 10% of their staff, while the department of housing and urban development is set for a 50% reduction in headcount. The largest federal workers union decried the layoffs as “politically driven”, while an advocacy group warned the dramatic workforce reductions could harm the ability of agencies to perform their jobs in the future. Across the pond, JD Vance took European countries to task in a speech sure to further rattle allies already concerned about the Trump administration’s shift in policy on Ukraine.
Here’s what else has happened today so far:
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The treasury inspector general will investigate the security of payment systems accessed by Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency”, though the report won’t be out until August.
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The effects of the federal worker layoffs are still being understood, but among the areas set to be disrupted is cancer research.
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A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding to USAid, and prove its compliance within five days.
Donald Trump’s campaign to dismantle USAid faced a setback in court last night, after a judge blocked efforts to freeze funding to the agency and gave his administration five days to comply. Here’s more on the development, from the Associated Press:
A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily lift a funding freeze that has shut down US humanitarian aid and development work around the world, and he has set a five-day deadline for the administration to prove it is complying.
The judge’s ruling late on Thursday cited the financial devastation that the near-overnight cutoff of payments has caused suppliers and non-profits that carry out much of US aid overseas.
The ruling was the first to challenge the Republican administration’s funding freeze. It comes amid a growing number of lawsuits by government employees’ groups, aid groups and government suppliers asking courts to roll back the administration’s fast-paced dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, or USAid, and US foreign assistance overall.
Trump and his aide Elon Musk say the six-decade-old aid agency and much of foreign assistance overall is out of line with the Republican president’s agenda.
Administration officials “have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, which set off a shockwave and upended” contracts with thousands of non-profit groups, businesses and others, “was a rational precursor to reviewing programs”, Judge Amir H Ali said in his ruling.
Treasury watchdog to investigate Musk’s access of payment system
The treasury’s inspector general has launched an investigation after Democrats raised concerns about Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” accessing the department’s payment system, the Associated Press reports.
The inquiry, which will likely take until August to complete, will also look into Musk’s allegations that the treasury made fraudulent payments. Here’s more on the investigation, from the AP:
The audit will also review the past two years of the system’s transactions as it relates to Musk’s assertion of ‘alleged fraudulent payments’, according to a letter from Loren J Sciurba, treasury’s deputy inspector general, that was obtained by the Associated Press.
The audit marks part of the broader effort led by Democratic lawmakers and federal employee unions to provide transparency and accountability about Doge’s activities under President Donald Trump’s Republican administration. The Musk team has pushed for access to the government’s computer systems and sought to remove tens of thousands of federal workers.
‘We expect to begin our fieldwork immediately,’ Sciburba wrote. ‘Given the breadth of this effort, the audit will likely not be completed until August; however, we recognize the danger that improper access or inadequate controls can pose to the integrity of sensitive payment systems. As such, if critical issues come to light before that time, we will issue interim updates and reports.’
Tech billionaire Musk, who continues to control Tesla, X and SpaceX among other companies, claims to be finding waste, fraud and abuse while providing savings to taxpayers, many of his claims so far unsubstantiated. But there is a risk that his team’s aggressive efforts could lead to the failure of government computer systems and enable Musk and his partners to profit off private information maintained by the government.
Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon led the push for the inspector general office’s inquiry.
Experts have warned that Musk’s access to payment systems used by the treasury and other departments poses a grave security threat, and undermine’s the government’s checks and balances. Here’s more on their fears:
Vance takes Europe to task in speech to security summit
JD Vance scolded European leaders in a speech to a major security conference in Germany, accusing the American allies of restricting free speech, being overly tolerant of immigration and retreating from values shared with the United States.
The vice-president’s remarks are sure to cause controversy on the continent, which is reeling from Donald Trump’s announcement this week that his government would seek to broker peace in Ukraine through direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin. We have a live blog covering the latest news from Europe as well as Vance’s remarks, and you can read it here:
CDC to cut 10% of workforce after Trump layoff order
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lose about 10% of its employees after the Trump administration ordered the firing of all hires still in their probationary period, the Associated Press reports.
That amounts to about 1,300 employees, according to the AP, which reports the order was communicated verbally to staff by the health and human services department, which oversees the agency tasked with fighting diseases such as Covid-19. Here’s more:
The Atlanta-based agency’s leadership was notified of the decision Friday morning. The verbal notice came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a meeting with CDC leaders, according to a federal official who was at the meeting. The official was not authorized to discuss it and spoke to The Associated Press on condition anonymity.
The affected employees are supposed to receive four weeks paid administrative leave, the official said, adding that it wasn’t clear when individual workers would receive notice.
With a $9.2 billion core budget, the CDC is charged with protecting Americans from outbreaks and other public health threats. Before the cuts, the agency had about 13,000 employees, including more than 2,000 staff work in other countries.
Historically CDC has been seen as a global leader on disease control and a reliable source of health information, boasting some of the top experts in the world.
The staff is heavy with scientists — 60% have master’s degrees or doctorates. Most of the workforce does not belong to a union.
It’s not only new employees who are subject to probation. Probationary periods also are applied to veteran staffers who, for example, were recently promoted to a new job in management.
The plans for dramatic layoffs at the department of housing and urban development came after its secretary, Scott Turner, announced a taskforce to support Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency”.
“We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America,” Turner said. “With president Trump’s leadership, business as usual, the status quo is no longer the posture that we will take, and with the help of Doge, we will identify and eliminate all waste fraud and abuse.”
Federal housing department to lay off half of workforce, including civil rights staff – report
The department of housing and urban development plans a 50% reduction in its workforce, a dramatic downsizing of the agency tasked with administering federal housing policy, Bloomberg Law reports.
An employee union official told the outlet that among those cut would be staff who handle civil rights issues, as well as those who compile data about the housing market. Here’s more:
Antonio Gaines, president of AFGE National Council 222, said the department will cut employees in the offices that enforce civil rights laws, compile data about the housing market, and pay to rebuild communities after disasters. The Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage insurance on loans, will be excluded, Gaines said.
The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
HUD provides housing and community development assistance. The agency employs 9,600 people, according to its website.
President Donald Trump directed agency heads Feb. 11 to “undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” that focus on firing workers who “perform functions not mandated by statute,” including “diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”
The Associated Press reports that Donald Trump’s move to lay off federal employees in their probationary period won’t save much money, but could jeopardize a host of government projects.
Among them: cancer research. Here’s more, from the AP:
The firing of probationary employees began earlier this week and has included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education workers.
At least 39 were fired from the Education Department on Wednesday, according to a union that represents agency workers, including civil rights workers, special education specialists and student aid officials.
The layoffs also hit Department of Veterans Affairs researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics and burn pit exposure, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said Thursday.
Murray said in a statement that she heard from VA researchers in her state who were told to stop their research immediately, “not because their work isn’t desperately needed, but because Trump and Elon have decided to fire these researchers on a whim.”
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that defends government workers, said the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service would be hit especially hard by laying off probationary employees because it has trouble recruiting inspectors required to be present at all times at most slaughterhouses.
The civilian federal workforce , not including military personnel and postal workers, is made up of about 2.4 million people. While about 20% of the workers are in Washington D.C., and the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, more than 80% live outside the Capitol region.
Layoffs are unlikely to yield significant deficit savings. When the Congressional Budget Office looked at the issue, it found the government spent $271 billion annually compensating civilian federal workers, with about 60% of that total going to workers employed by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.
Major union and advocacy group condemn mass firing of probationary employees
The largest federal employee union as well as an advocacy group for the government workforce have condemned the Trump administration’s move to fire employees in their probationary period.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, accused the Trump administration of targeting workers new in their positions simply because they want to get rid of them:
This administration has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office.
These firings are not about poor performance – there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants. They are about power. They are about gutting the federal government, silencing workers, and forcing agencies into submission to a radical agenda that prioritizes cronyism over competence.
And Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, said that the move could be crippling to workforce’s future functionality:
The Trump administration’s decision to fire civil servants who have been in service for under a year is yet another profoundly damaging action. With just over 7% of federal employees under age 30, our government needs a new generation of workers with the necessary skills to better serve the needs of our modern society. By terminating employees simply because they are the most vulnerable, the Trump administration has just thrown away our down payment on the future. Many of those who lost their jobs today were newer hires made in areas of great need for our government, including AI, cybersecurity, and technology. It is ultimately our country that will pay a heavy price for this arbitrary dismantling of the civil service.
Trump administration continues to gut federal workforce after Musk call to ‘delete’ agencies
Good morning, US politics blog readers. The Trump administration’s drive to downsize the federal workforce continues, with news that thousands of US government employees across the United States have been told they are being let go. The latest cuts target employees in their probationary periods at agencies that include the Department of Veterans Affairs, Small Business Administration and US Forest Service. That’s in addition to the 75,000 employees the White House said accepted its legally questionable offer of deferred resignations. All this is taking place after Elon Musk, who Trump has appointed as chair of his “department of government efficiency” said that his intention was to “delete entire agencies”. Federal worker unions have sued over his moves, while warning that the Trump-Musk drive to downsize government by going after the people who work there threatens to undermine programs Americans depend on. We’ll tell you more about that today.
Here’s what else is going on:
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Trump is heading to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend this afternoon, but before he does, he’ll sign executive orders at 1pm. He often invites the press into the Oval Office to watch him do so.
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Top federal prosecutors have resigned after receiving orders from the justice department to drop bribery charges against New York mayor Eric Adams. We expect to hear more about the fallout from the decision throughout the day.
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JD Vance is scheduled to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and deliver remarks at the Munich security conference, where America’s European allies are grasping for details of the Trump administration’s new policy on Ukraine. We have a live blog covering it all, and you can read it here.
