U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk have initiated large-scale layoffs within the federal government. On Friday more than 9,500 government employees were dismissed including workers from various federal agencies. These cuts affected staff in departments such as the Interior, Veterans Affairs Homeland Security Energy Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Primarily employees with less than a year of service were targeted.

In addition some independent agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have essentially halted their operations and contract employees working under set term agreements have been let go as well.

Furthermore the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) responsible for tax collection, is preparing to lay off thousands of workers in the coming weeks. This move has raised concerns that it might lead to complications for U.S. citizens during the tax filing season with the April 15 deadline approaching.

Earlier about 75,000 employees voluntarily resigned after agreeing to Trump and Musk’s employment reform plans but these voluntary resignations are distinct from the ongoing layoffs. Trump has argued that the federal government is burdened with waste and inefficiency leading to significant financial losses. The federal government currently carries a debt of around $36 trillion and a deficit of $1.8 trillion for the previous year.

Some Democratic members of Congress have argued that Trump’s actions undermine the legislature’s constitutional authority over federal spending. However these measures have been widely supported by Republicans.

After being re elected President Trump introduced a new government body called the Department of Government Efficiency and appointed Elon Musk as its head. Musk has promised to save $1 trillion from the federal budget which was $6.75 trillion in the previous year. Less than 5% of this budget is allocated to employee salaries.

Musk, one of the wealthiest individuals globally, has faced criticism for his approach and the potential impact of his decisions. Critics have raised concerns about the effectiveness of such harsh measures on federal employees. However U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant defended Musk’s department, likening it to a financial audit. Besant emphasized that the department’s employees are conducting audits across different agencies to ensure better efficiency.

These decisions by Trump and Musk have sparked a significant shift in the U.S. government’s approach which could lead to considerable changes in the country’s financial and administrative structure in the future.