The gossip around D.C. lately isn't just about the usual partisan bickering; it’s about a fundamental shift in how the American government actually functions. For decades, the "Deep State"—or what most of us just call the civil service—has been protected by layers of red tape. You couldn't just fire a career expert because they disagreed with the boss. But things changed fast. If you’ve been following the headlines, the phrase Trump firing federal employees isn't just a campaign slogan anymore; it’s a policy reality that’s hitting thousands of desks across the country.
Honestly, it's a bit of a mess to untangle. On one side, you have an administration that says the government is bloated and unresponsive. On the other, you have unions and career staff who feel like the "merit system"—the idea that you get and keep your job based on what you know, not who you vote for—is being dismantled in real-time.
The Schedule F Resurrection: Why It’s Not Just "Business as Usual"
To understand what’s happening, you have to look at something called Schedule F. It sounds like a tax form, but it’s basically a "kill switch" for civil service protections.
Back in late 2020, Trump signed an executive order to create this new category for federal workers. The idea was simple: if your job involves "policy-making," you lose your protections. You become an "at-will" employee. Biden killed it the second he took office, but in 2025, it came back with a vengeance under a new name: Schedule Policy/Career.
This isn't just about a few high-level bosses. We are talking about an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 employees. Think about the scale there. That’s like firing the entire workforce of a major tech giant overnight. Noah Peters, a lawyer involved in the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) regulations, has argued that these changes are necessary for "accountability to the president." Essentially, the argument is that if the people don't like a policy, they vote for a new president, and that president should be able to actually implement that policy without career staff dragging their feet.
🔗 Read more: The Night the Mountain Fell: What Really Happened During the Big Thompson Flood 1976
The Great 2025 "Right-Sizing"
It wasn't just about policy-makers, though. In early 2025, the administration got creative. They didn't just wait for the slow grind of civil service reform; they used the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) to speed things up.
- The Deferred Resignation Program: In January 2025, thousands of employees were offered a deal—leave now, get paid through September. About 75,000 people took the bait.
- The Probationary Purge: A directive went out to fire "probationary" employees—those in their first year. The instructions were blunt: you don't even need to cite evidence of poor performance. Just tell them they aren't a "fit."
- The Return-to-Office Ultimatum: Trump and his advisors, including Elon Musk, made it clear: if you don't show up to the office five days a week, you're out. For a workforce that had grown used to remote work during and after the pandemic, this was a "soft fire" for tens of thousands.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Purge"
You might hear that this is a total "cleansing" of the government. That's not exactly true, but it's not far off. By March 2025, OPM data showed the federal workforce had already shrunk by over 23,000 positions just through the hiring freeze and early attrition.
But here is the nuance: it’s not happening everywhere at the same rate. Agencies like the EPA, the Department of Education, and parts of the DOJ have been hit the hardest. Meanwhile, "essential" areas like immigration enforcement and national security have actually seen exemptions. It's a surgical strike, not a carpet bombing.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been the engine behind this. They treat the federal government like a failing Twitter or a bloated manufacturing plant. They want fewer layers of management. They want "performance-based compensation." If you’re a career scientist at the CDC and your data contradicts a new policy, you’re now looking over your shoulder. That’s the "behavior change" Trump allies talked about with Axios back in 2024.
💡 You might also like: The Natascha Kampusch Case: What Really Happened in the Girl in the Cellar True Story
The Legal War in the Trenches
Unions like the NTEU and AFGE aren't just sitting there. They’ve filed dozens of lawsuits. In late 2025, a federal judge actually stepped in to block mass layoffs that were happening during a government shutdown. The administration tried to use the shutdown as a "pretense" to permanently fire people instead of just furloughing them.
"The American people deserve to have day-to-day government services in the hands of qualified professionals who stay on the job regardless of which party holds the White House." — Doreen Greenwald, NTEU National President.
This quote gets to the heart of the fear: that we are heading back to the "spoils system" of the 1800s, where every time a new president wins, they fire everyone and hire their friends.
Actionable Insights: If You’re a Federal Employee (or Want to Be)
The landscape is shifting beneath everyone's feet. If you are currently in the system or looking to enter, you've basically got to play by a new set of rules.
📖 Related: The Lawrence Mancuso Brighton NY Tragedy: What Really Happened
- Check Your Classification: If your job description mentions "policy-determining" or "policy-advocating," you are in the crosshairs for Schedule Policy/Career. You need to know if your position has been flagged for conversion.
- Document Your Performance: The new OPM rules make it much easier to fire for "poor performance" without the old 30-day "Performance Improvement Plans" (PIPs). Keep your own trail of emails, kudos, and met metrics.
- Unionize or Stay Informed: Even if you aren't a "union person," these organizations are the ones currently funding the legal challenges that might save your job protections. Follow the NTEU and NFFE updates closely.
- Consider the "Soft" Exit: If the administration offers another "deferred resignation" or buyout, run the numbers. With the current push for RIFs (Reductions in Force), a voluntary exit with a check might be better than a forced one without.
Is This the End of the Civil Service?
Probably not the end, but it’s definitely a metamorphosis. The goal of Trump firing federal employees isn't just to have fewer people; it's to have different people. The administration wants a workforce that views "loyalty to the executive" as a job requirement.
We are seeing a government that is leaner, yes, but also one that is significantly more political. Whether that leads to a more efficient America or a more chaotic one depends entirely on who you ask—and likely, on which side of the political aisle you sit. For the thousands of workers currently packing their boxes or waiting for a "Schedule F" notification, the theory of "unitary executive power" is no longer an academic debate. It's their Monday morning reality.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor FedScope: Check the OPM's FedScope database for monthly updates on workforce reductions by agency.
- Track Court Rulings: Keep an eye on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where the most significant challenges to Schedule Policy/Career are currently pending.
- Review Agency RIF Plans: Agencies are required to submit workforce reduction plans to the OMB; while many are non-public, union summaries often leak the specific departments being targeted.