Under the terms of the program, employees who chose to resign by a specified deadline—initially set for February 6, 2025—would receive a significant incentive. They would remain on the federal payroll with full pay and benefits through September 30, 2025, without the requirement to report for daily duty or maintain a regular workload.
The Mechanics of the “Buyout”
The program was designed to appeal to different segments of the workforce:
Dissident Voices: The administration explicitly framed the offer as an opportunity for those “unwilling to work” under President Trump’s second-term agenda to exit gracefully.
Cost-Cutting Measures: By encouraging voluntary departures, the administration sought to reduce the overall headcount without the immediate legal hurdles of involuntary “Reductions in Force” (RIFs).
Karoline Leavitt’s Defense: Efficiency Over “Purge”
As news of the program broke, critics and union leaders quickly characterized the move as a “political purge” designed to hollow out the civil service and remove non-partisan experts who might oppose the administration’s policies.
Stepping into the James Brady Press Briefing Room, Karoline Leavitt moved decisively to counter this narrative. With the poise that has defined her tenure, she dismissed the “purge” allegations as sensationalism. According to Leavitt, the program was not about political retribution, but about fiscal responsibility and workplace accountability. Continue reading…
