Attacking Government Workers Has Long Been a Presidential Pastime

U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk are hellbent on cutting down the size of the federal bureaucracy. The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has become a platform for Musk to run amok in seeking to pressure civil servants to step down or else force them out of their jobs.

During Trump’s first few days in office, federal workers woke up to emails urging them to consider a deal in which they would receive pay and benefits until Sept. 30 if they choose to “resign” by Feb. 6. One of the president’s first actions was a back-to-work executive order that requires federal employees to come back to the office—with the hope that many will decide to stay home. Trump won’t stop going after diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, determined to gut them from every office possible—including private institutions and state governments that receive federal money.