Federal Workforce Experiences Significant Departures and Policy Changes Under Trump Administration

Federal Workforce Experiences Significant Departures and Policy Changes Under Trump Administration

The federal workforce has experienced substantial changes and employee departures following the return of President Trump to the White House. The Office of Personnel Management estimates that approximately 317,000 federal employees are projected to leave government service by the end of 2025. This includes firings, retirements, and resignations.

Liz Goggin, a former clinical social worker with the Veterans Health Administration (VA), resigned in June after two rejections for a "Fork in the Road" buyout offer. Goggin, who had worked at the VA for a decade providing therapy and connecting veterans to services, cited new workplace demands as factors contributing to her departure. These demands included mandates for weekly accomplishment reports and directives to report observed anti-Christian bias. Goggin noted she had not observed such bias during her tenure. Additionally, new policies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) created uncertainty for employees regarding permissible discussions in support groups and internal conversations about implicit bias. Following her resignation, Goggin established a private therapy practice. She has stated she would consider returning to the VA under a different administration.

Mahri Stainnak, who uses they/them pronouns and worked for the Office of Personnel Management's DEI office in Maine, was placed on leave and subsequently fired shortly after President Trump's inauguration. Stainnak's work involved introducing individuals from diverse backgrounds, including veterans, people with disabilities, and graduates from minority-serving institutions, to federal careers. Stainnak is a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration illegally discriminated against federal employees in DEI roles, targeting them based on actual or perceived political beliefs, advocacy for protected groups, race, or gender. Stainnak stated that individuals known to them who were affected are predominantly people of color, women, or members of the LGBTQ community. The Trump administration has not yet filed a response to the legal complaint, and the White House declined to comment on the lawsuit to NPR.

Keri Murphy, who began an administrative role at the Commerce Department in summer 2024, was among a group of probationary employees affected by firings starting in March. Murphy, who had recently received an award for outstanding performance, was informed her dismissal was due to poor performance. Subsequent legal actions led to her temporary reinstatement under court order, followed by re-firing after an appeals court overturned the order. A final court judgment found the mass firing of probationary employees illegal but did not order their reinstatement. Murphy has since secured new employment, which offers approximately half the pay and no benefits compared to her previous government position. She expressed willingness to return to government service under a different administration.

President Trump signed an executive order addressing DEI efforts across the government, characterizing them as "immense public waste and shameful discrimination." He has publicly articulated his actions as efforts to "drain the swamp," curb "gravy train," and "save the country from waste, fraud and abuse." During a rally in Michigan in late April, Trump stated that his administration was "stopping their gravy train, ending their power trip" from "unelected bureaucrats."

Max Stier, founding president of the Partnership for Public Service, characterized the administration's actions as "burning the whole house down," drawing parallels to government practices of the 1800s where government served private interests rather than the public good.

In response, White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston stated that President Trump's motivation is "improving the lives of the American people and making our country greater than ever before." Huston cited the administration's "significant progress" in government efficiency within a year, referencing plans for an air traffic control system overhaul and a reduction in veteran benefit waiting times.