President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to implement further government staff reductions, aligning with the budget-cutting strategies proposed by his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk.

The administration has announced plans to eliminate more than 90% of foreign aid contracts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

A recent memo issued by Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Charles Eisel, the acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management, outlines a large-scale initiative to downsize the federal workforce, which has been characterized as an impediment to Trump's agenda.

This downsizing effort includes the termination of professional staff protected under civil service rules, following the earlier dismissal of tens of thousands of temporary employees.

To date, the administration has removed approximately 100,000 employees from a total of 2.3 million federal civilian workers in the United States.

During the first meeting of his second term, Trump stated, "We are working to reduce the size of government.

We need to do that.

We are bloated.

We are careless.

We have many people who are not doing their jobs." He mentioned the push to streamline government operations as part of a recent executive order he signed with Musk, who oversaw the "Government Efficiency Office" (known as "GOE").

Trump insisted that agency heads must immediately commit to preparing for extensive workforce reductions.

The memo was issued shortly before a meeting convened by Trump for his administration officials along with Musk, who attended wearing a black campaign hat reading, "Make America Great Again." Musk described himself as a "humble technical support" to the federal government and framed the cost-cutting initiative as existential, stating, "If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt." He told ministers that his email outreach to government employees was to ascertain whether government funds were being allocated to actual workers, suggesting there were individuals on the payroll who were deceased.

Trump reiterated concerns that nearly one million workers who did not respond to Musk's email could be at risk of job loss.

Musk's influence in these efforts has grown stronger with Trump’s recent executive directive mandating agencies to develop new systems for justifying and tracking payments, which will be monitored by representatives from the GOE.

Furthermore, restrictions have been placed on employee travel, and agency credit cards have been frozen unless used for disaster relief or approved exceptions.

Federal agencies have been instructed to submit their plans for workforce reductions by March 13. These reductions would not only lead to employee layoffs but also the complete elimination of certain positions, potentially resulting in significant changes to government operations.

Additional plans are expected to be released on April 14, after agencies have outlined strategies to merge operations for greater efficiency, with a final deadline for implementation set for September 30.

The memo states that "the federal government is costly, inefficient, and burdened with debt.

At the same time, it does not provide results to the American public," and asserts that "instead, tax dollars are siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit extreme interest groups, while harming hardworking American citizens."

Russell Vought previously authored the conservative "Project 2025" for Trump's second term, advocating for centralized power under the presidency and dismantling the federal bureaucracy.

Vought had remarked last summer, "We will not save our country without a bit of confrontation."

Some agencies have begun this process already.

The General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, informed employees last Monday that workforce reductions were underway and pledged to ensure that departures are "fair and dignified."

Resistance is expected to be more pronounced, as labor unions, Democratic state leaders, and other organizations may seek to impede Trump's plans through litigation, while Republicans have grown increasingly concerned about the potential effects of these strategies on their voters.

Kevin Owen, an employment attorney representing federal workers, compared the administration's initiative to the disruptions caused by government shutdowns during congressional budget standoffs.

He stated, "This appears to be a plan for a massive and astonishing reduction in the federal workforce, which I do not think the American public is prepared for," adding that it could significantly hinder government functions.

He noted that Trump and his allies are focused on speed over accuracy in their government reforms, asserting that the administration's strategy might lead to damage that could be subject to legal challenges.

If the courts ultimately rule against the administration, they may have secured their objectives in the meantime.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration ordered a reduction of approximately 90% of projects operated by USAID.

The Supreme Court intervened on Wednesday to impose a temporary hold on a court ruling requiring the administration to release billions of dollars in foreign aid.

Trump has attacked foreign aid programs more forcefully and swiftly than most other objectives in his bid to downsize the federal government.

On January 20, he ordered a 90-day review of each program to identify which foreign aid initiatives should continue, effectively cutting almost all foreign assistance overnight.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced plans to cancel 5,800 of 6,200 multi-year contract grants from USAID, resulting in a budget cut of $54 billion.

Additionally, 4,100 other grants from the State Department were terminated, amounting to a reduction of $4.4 billion.

Thousands of workers who have been laid off or placed on leave as part of the dismantling of USAID have been given the opportunity to clear their workspaces.

Notices have been issued to specific groups of employees, outlining their arrival times for security check-ins and their accompaniment back to their previous workplaces.

Employees laid off are required to return all agency-issued assets, including diplomatic passports.