On Tuesday, the United States may experience an unprecedented shakeup in its civil service as more than 100,000 federal employees are expected to resign simultaneously. If realized, it would mark the largest coordinated departure of government staff in American history.
Central to the controversy is President Donald Trump’s Deferred Resignation Program, a key initiative of his second term. The administration presents it as a voluntary pathway for federal workers who no longer align with the President’s vision. However, labor unions and critics argue it acts as a pressure campaign designed to force out career civil servants and weaken institutional expertise.
The timing is particularly sensitive. Congress faces a midnight deadline that same day to pass a funding bill and prevent a government shutdown. In anticipation of possible gridlock, the White House has instructed agencies to draft contingency plans for widespread vacancies.
Within federal departments, employees describe an atmosphere of fear, political coercion, and mounting uncertainty. One longtime FEMA staffer, who recently submitted her resignation, said, “Federal workers stay for the mission. But when that mission is taken away, when we’re scapegoated, when our job security disappears, and when even a semblance of work-life balance is gone, we leave.” Similar accounts have emerged from the Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where staff members cite ideological tests and deteriorating morale.
President Trump has repeatedly defended the program as essential to his goal of draining the swamp. Speaking at a rally in Ohio earlier this month, he declared, “The bureaucracy is the enemy of the people. They’ve blocked us every step of the way. On Tuesday, we’re taking our country back.” His supporters argue the effort is necessary to eliminate entrenched resistance and reshape the federal government to better reflect his administration’s priorities.
However, observers warn that the dual threat of a historic walkout and a potential shutdown could disrupt critical services across the country, including Social Security, veterans’ benefits, disaster relief, and public health infrastructure. Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, issued a stark warning: “This is not a drill. We are witnessing a deliberate hollowing out of the federal government at a time when Americans need it most.”
With the nation on edge, the coming days will determine whether Trump’s bold strategy reshapes the federal bureaucracy or leaves it teetering on the brink of dysfunction.
