Trump’s Plan Continues Slashing Federal Jobs by the Thousands

Written by Caleb Thompson.

An internal memo from the Trump administration, drafted just a week ago, lays out a bold strategy to shrink federal payrolls across multiple agencies, with cuts as deep as 50% at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 30% at the Treasury Department. This comes as President Donald Trump has ordered agency heads to draft their own staffing reduction plans, setting the stage for widespread layoffs to kick off next month. For sharp professionals keeping tabs on government efficiency, this signals a seismic shift in how Washington operates.

The numbers are stark. The Education Department, under Secretary Linda McMahon, faces a 50% workforce cut—projected to save $6 billion—while the Justice Department is slated for an 8% trim, netting $1.9 billion. The Small Business Administration will see 43% of its staff axed, and the National Science Foundation, a fixture of bipartisan support, is bracing for a 28% reduction. These figures, detailed in the memo, underscore a deliberate push to pare down what Trump’s team sees as bloated bureaucracy.

Agency-Specific Impacts and Justifications

At the Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS, a 30% staff reduction is on the table—think of tax auditors and compliance officers suddenly out of work. The Commerce Department’s 30% cut could hit trade analysts and data crunchers, while HUD’s 50% slash might leave housing inspectors scrambling. Over at Health and Human Services, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has already rolled out a restructuring plan, dropping 20,000 jobs to bring staff from 82,000 to 62,000—a move pegged to save $1.8 billion without, he claims, gutting essential services.

The reasoning ties back to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, a linchpin in Trump’s cost-cutting vision. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the effort, noting her agency—USDA, with over 100,000 employees—is fully onboard. “We’re aligned with the president’s goal, working hand-in-hand with Musk,” she said, sidestepping the fallout for probationary workers, some of whom handled food safety during a bird flu crisis. Their termination notices cited poor performance, but the timing raises eyebrows.

Musk himself has been vocal. In a Fox News sit-down, he pitched a 15% spending cut as “quite achievable,” targeting waste and fraud. He admitted to missteps—like briefly firing nuclear safety staff before rehiring them—but brushed it off: “We fix errors fast and keep moving.” For brilliant adults parsing this, it’s a mix of ambition and improvisation—big ideas with real-world stumbles.

Scope and Pushback Amid Execution

The memo’s scope is vast—Commerce, Education, HHS, and beyond—but it’s not set in stone. Harrison Fields, a Trump spokesperson, called it a “pre-deliberative draft,” hinting final plans might shift. Agency heads will unveil their cuts when ready, he said, likely to blunt the shock of numbers like HUD’s 50% or HHS’s 10,000 lost jobs. Still, the intent is clear: shrink the federal footprint, fast.

Not everyone’s cheering. The HHS overhaul trims 3,500 FDA posts, 2,400 at the CDC, and 1,200 at NIH—roles tied to drug approvals, disease tracking, and medical research. Critics worry about gaps—imagine fewer inspectors as a new flu strain spreads. Yet the administration insists critical functions won’t suffer, a claim that’ll be tested as layoffs roll out. The Commerce cut, meanwhile, could ding economic data collection, a quiet but vital cog for businesses nationwide.

This isn’t Trump’s first swing at streamlining. Past efforts floundered under divided government, but with a GOP trifecta now in place, the memo’s timing—post-2024 election—feels strategic. Musk’s crew has the runway to push hard, and cabinet buy-in, from Rollins to Kennedy, locks it in. For pros eyeing fiscal policy, it’s a rare alignment of power and purpose—whether it delivers is another question.

Our Take

Trump’s staffing purge is a gutsy move—50% at HUD, 30% at Treasury, billions in savings on the line. It’s got Musk’s fingerprints all over it, and the cabinet’s singing its praises, which tells you the White House means business. For sharp folks watching budgets or jobs, the logic tracks: government’s overgrown, and taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill. A leaner USDA or HHS could work if they cut fat, not muscle—Rolls and Kennedy swear they’re threading that needle.

But here’s the rub: execution’s messy. Firing food inspectors mid-outbreak or slashing CDC staff when health’s shaky feels like a gamble. Musk’s “fix it fast” line sounds good until you’re the one waiting on a delayed drug approval. My take? The cuts’ll stick—Trump’s got the votes and the will—but the savings might come with hiccups we’ll feel later. Brilliant minds should brace for leaner agencies and hope the essentials hold up.