It’s been a wild year for anyone with a desk in a federal building. If you’ve been watching the headlines lately, you know the vibe in D.C. has shifted from "business as usual" to something closer to a total overhaul. People are asking the same question: Why is Trump firing federal workers in such huge numbers?
Honestly, the answer isn't just one thing. It's a mix of a decades-old grudge against the "deep state," a new legal loophole called Schedule F, and a massive push for what the administration calls "efficiency." Basically, the goal is to turn the federal government from a protected career path into something that looks a lot more like a private company—where the boss has the final say on who stays and who goes.
The Strategy Behind Schedule F and "Policy/Career" Roles
The biggest hammer in the toolbox right now is something you might have heard called Schedule F. It’s been renamed Schedule Policy/Career recently, but the mechanics are the same.
Traditionally, most federal workers are "competitive service" employees. This means they have huge protections. You can’t just fire them because you don't like their face or their politics. You have to prove they aren't doing their job, which can take months—sometimes over a year—of paperwork and appeals.
Trump’s argument? That's a "broken system." In April 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a rule to move about 50,000 workers—roughly 2% of the civilian workforce—into this new category. These are people in "policy-determining" or "policy-advocating" roles. Once you’re in that category, you lose those civil service protections. You become an "at-will" employee.
Why the sudden shift?
The administration claims that senior leaders at agencies like the FDIC or the EPA have been able to "subvert presidential directives" or hide behind red tape when they underperform. By reclassifying them, the White House can clear out anyone who isn't fully on board with the new agenda. Critics, of course, call this a "loyalty purge." They worry it replaces experts with "yes-men."
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The "DOGE" Effect and Mass Layoffs
It’s not just about policy roles, though. We’ve seen a massive wave of layoffs across the board. If you've been following the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, you’ve seen the "weed-pulling" philosophy in action.
By January 2026, the federal workforce had already shrunk by about 9.9%. That’s over 200,000 people. Here’s a quick look at where the axe fell hardest:
- Veterans Affairs (VA): Lost around 65,000 jobs in 2025 alone. Some were healthcare-related, which has caused a massive stir in veteran communities.
- EPA and Department of the Interior: Hundreds of scientists and environmental experts were fired in "Reduction in Force" (RIF) actions last spring.
- NASA: Lost nearly 5,000 people, including a huge chunk of their senior-level staff.
- FEMA: Just this January, dozens of recovery workers were let go, even as leaked emails suggest plans to cut the agency’s staff in half by the end of the year.
The logic here is purely financial. The administration wants to hit a target of four departures for every one new hire. They want a leaner, cheaper government. They're also pushing to replace federal employees with private contractors or automated systems where possible.
Is This Legal? The "Unconstitutional Overcorrection" Argument
You’d think the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 would stop this. For decades, it did. But the legal team at the OPM is now arguing that those 1970s-era protections were "unconstitutional overcorrections."
They’re leaning on a legal theory called the Unitary Executive Theory. Basically, it says the President has total control over the executive branch. If the President can't fire the people working for him, the theory goes, he isn't really in charge.
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The Supreme Court has been surprisingly receptive to this. An 8-1 decision recently suggested that federal workers don't have an inherent "right" to their jobs if the President decides a reorganization is necessary. That ruling basically green-lit the mass firings we’re seeing now.
What This Means for the "Deep State"
For Trump, firing these workers is about "draining the swamp." He’s been very vocal about the idea that there is a "deep state" of unelected bureaucrats who actively work to stop his policies.
Take the Department of Education, for example. There are plans to dismantle it entirely. By firing the people who run its programs, the administration effectively shuts down the agency from the inside out.
The Human Cost: More Than Just a Job
It’s easy to talk about "headcounts" and "percentages," but the reality on the ground is pretty messy.
- Expertise is walking out the door. When you fire 2,000 senior NASA scientists, that institutional knowledge doesn't just come back.
- Diversity is tanking. Data from mid-2025 showed that the layoffs disproportionately hit Black women in the federal workforce.
- Paranoia is the new normal. There are reports of "loyalty tip lines" where staffers can report colleagues for being "disloyal" to the administration.
What’s Next: Actionable Steps for Federal Workers
If you're a federal employee or you know someone who is, the "wait and see" approach isn't really an option anymore. The landscape has changed, and it isn't going back to the old way anytime soon.
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Check your SF-50.
Your Standard Form 50 is the "birth certificate" of your federal career. It lists your position's classification. If you see a shift toward "Excepted Service" or any mention of "Schedule Policy/Career," your job protections just changed.
Document everything.
Even with Schedule F, there are still rules against "prohibited personnel practices." If you think you're being fired for whistleblowing or because of discrimination (race, gender, religion), those laws still exist on the books. Keep a paper trail of your performance reviews and any interactions that feel off.
Look at "Special Rates" for Law Enforcement.
It’s not all cuts. If you’re in law enforcement—think Border Patrol or the FBI—the administration is actually increasing pay. A new memo for 2026 authorized a 3.8% pay bump for "mission-critical" law enforcement roles. If you’re looking to stay in government, moving toward these "protected" categories might be the only way to find stability.
Consult your Union.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is currently fighting dozens of lawsuits. Even if they can't stop every firing, they have resources for legal defense and can help you navigate the "Reduction in Force" (RIF) procedures.
The era of the "safe" federal career is effectively over for many. Whether you see this as a necessary cleanup of a bloated government or a dangerous gutting of American expertise, the reality is that the federal workforce of 2026 looks nothing like it did two years ago.