Trumps Buyout Allowed by Judge, 75k Accept

Approximately 75,000 federal employees have taken up President Donald Trump's buyout offer, with the application window closing at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. This figure, representing roughly 3.3% of the federal government's 2.3 million workforce, falls short of the White House's initial estimate that 5% to 10% of employees would participate.

The final count was confirmed by an Office of Personnel Management official after a federal judge in Massachusetts lifted a temporary halt on the program earlier in the day. The judge ruled that the federal employee unions challenging the initiative, known as "Fork in the Road," lacked the legal standing to bring the lawsuit and that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter. The judge also denied the plaintiffs' request for an injunction, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with the buyouts.

The buyout program, launched on January 28 and extended to nearly the entire federal workforce, offered employees eight months of pay and benefits through September in exchange for their immediate resignation. However, Democrats cautioned federal workers against accepting the deal, pointing out that government funding is only secured until March 14, leaving future payouts uncertain.

Employees who opted to remain in federal service are now required to return to in-person work and adhere to new "performance standards," including being "reliable, loyal, and trustworthy." These changes are part of broader reforms being implemented across the government.

The buyout initiative is a key component of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which Trump has tasked with reducing federal spending and streamlining bureaucracy. The administration has warned that if an insufficient number of workers accept the buyouts, furloughs and layoffs may follow.

On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order directing federal department and agency heads to prepare for "large-scale reductions in force." Layoffs have already begun at the General Services Administration, the agency responsible for managing the federal government's real estate, according to Reuters.