Judge restores Trump administration's buyout offer to federal workers
FOX NewsFEB 13
75K Federal Workers Accept Trump's Controversial Buyout Deal
Above: US Pres. Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025. Image copyright: Andrew Harnik/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Approximately 75K federal employees, or around 3.3% of the 2.3M federal workforce, have accepted the Trump administration's deferred resignation program, falling short of the White House's projected 5%-10% acceptance rate.
The program, which closed on Wednesday at 7 pm ET, offers eight months of pay and benefits through September 2025 to federal workers who agreed to resign immediately, though funding is only secured through March 14.
A federal judge in Boston, George O'Toole, ruled on Wednesday that unions lacked legal standing to challenge the program, thereby allowing the administration to proceed with the controversial workforce reduction initiative.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
The deferred resignation program represents a generous and voluntary option for federal employees to plan their futures while saving taxpayers billions of dollars, offering an effective and fair off-ramp for workers who might otherwise face potential layoffs in upcoming workforce reductions.
Anti-Trump narrative
The program amounts to an unfunded IOU that coerces dedicated public servants into making life-altering decisions without adequate information or guarantees, potentially risking a devastating drain in federal agencies and disruption of vital government services.