What court orders? Trump's moving full steam ahead to slash more federal workers

[mahatmakanejeeves]

What court orders? Trump’s moving full steam ahead to slash more federal workers

White House officials were unfazed.


President Donald Trump, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and his son X Æ A-Xii, arrive on the South Lawn of the White House, March 11, 2025, in Washington. | AP

By LIZ CRAMPTON, DASHA BURNS, MARCIA BROWN, KELSEY TAMBORRINO and REBECCA CARBALLO
03/14/2025 07:30 PM EDT

White House officials call court rulings to reinstate fired federal workers’ judicial activism. Federal agencies — from the Department of Defense to the Energy Department — are giving wildly varied guidance. Even sacked workers don’t know if they’ll return to the job.

Far from clarifying the issue, the White House and federal agencies are handling two sweeping Thursday court rulings to rehire fired probationary federal workers with disparate responses — a sign that the confusion created by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will likely continue as the administration vows to continue its push to overhaul Washington.

At the White House, officials were unfazed by a major legal setback to Musk. Two people familiar with the White House plans, granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, say the administration plans to appeal the rulings. But in the meantime, they say this is not going to impact how the White House does business.
When it comes to reducing the size of government, “planning is moving full steam ahead,” one of the people said. In fact, they say the court rulings are helpful communication tools to build a “narrative about out of control liberal judges telling the executive who they can hire and fire.”

“The president, DOGE, and OPM will not be intimidated by activists who dress up in black robes,” said another White House official.

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