In a major victory for taxpayers and government efficiency, thousands of federal workers have accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offer, walking away from their cushy government jobs in exchange for eight months’ pay and benefits. The administration’s goal is clear: cut down the bloated federal workforce and rein in wasteful spending.
Employees have until Thursday to decide whether they’ll take the offer, and according to reports, the number of resignations is surging. While Axios initially reported that around 20,000 workers had accepted, a White House official confirmed to *The Post* that the number is rapidly climbing, with the biggest spike expected in the final hours before the deadline.
This buyout program is part of President Trump’s broader plan to shrink the federal bureaucracy, targeting between a 5% and 10% reduction in the government’s workforce. If successful, this move could save taxpayers a staggering $100 billion—a sum that would otherwise be wasted on an ever-expanding, inefficient government.
The buyout applies to at least 2.3 million federal employees. Given that the government’s annual attrition rate is around 6%, some of those accepting the buyout may have already planned to leave. However, the sheer number of departures suggests that many government workers are jumping at the chance to cash out rather than stick around in a streamlined federal workforce with higher expectations and greater accountability.
This initiative has been spearheaded by tech mogul Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, a long-time advocate for cutting unnecessary red tape, worked closely with President Trump to craft this buyout strategy as part of a larger effort to reduce the size and scope of Washington’s bloated bureaucracy.
Predictably, public sector unions and career bureaucrats are in an uproar over the plan. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers’ union, has advised its members not to take the buyout, warning them that “it is unclear whether OPM [Office of Personnel Management] has the legal authority to support the Program or its alleged benefits.”
Translation: the union bosses are panicking because they know that fewer federal workers mean less power and fewer forced union dues flowing into their coffers. Instead of supporting workers who might want to take the buyout and seek better opportunities, these unions are desperately trying to cling to their taxpayer-funded empire.
Meanwhile, critics of the administration are grasping at straws, questioning the legality of the buyouts—conveniently ignoring the fact that bloated federal agencies have wasted taxpayer money for decades with zero accountability.
President Trump’s plan to downsize the government is exactly the kind of bold action that Washington needs. For too long, career bureaucrats have lived comfortably on taxpayer dollars, operating in a system with little accountability. By trimming the fat, this administration is putting the American people first, ensuring that government serves them—not the other way around.
With thousands of resignations rolling in, one thing is clear: the swamp is starting to drain.
