Fired Federal Workers Who Voted for Trump Feel Betrayed by Musk-Led Government Cuts

News
Alexis N. Crockett
February 27, 2025
10 minutes read

Donald Trump held a campaign rally at the Lancaster Airport located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Federal employees who supported President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign are now voicing frustration and disbelief after losing their jobs due to sweeping cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, multiple former federal workers shared their anger over the abrupt dismissals, arguing that the mass firings have gone far beyond what they expected from Trump’s administration.

One former Department of Agriculture researcher, who spoke anonymously in hopes of being rehired, said they anticipated changes but not a total dismantling of vital government services. “Thinking that there would be changes” when they supported Trump’s candidacy, the worker said, “Instead of being focused, this is just going completely off the rails, chopping and slicing up parts of the government that are protecting Americans.”

They also criticized Trump for allowing Musk to aggressively overhaul the federal workforce without a clear plan for rebuilding. “No one is asking how they are going to put all this… back together again,” the worker added, told Reuters.

Other former employees echoed similar concerns. Jocelyn Steward, a former specialist at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, admitted she never thought Trump would go through with firing employees like her when she voted for him three times.

Donald Trump and Todd Blanche (Photographer: Justin Lane/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“There has been zero compassion for anything or anyone in this process,” she said. “A lot of these federal workers are doing good work. Please just show a little empathy.” She also warned that Musk’s influence over the administration could have dire consequences for Trump’s presidency.

“This is going to ruin his presidency,” Steward cautioned. Another laid-off worker, a Veterans Affairs Department staffer who only identified himself as “Mike”, said he had “proudly” supported Trump but now regrets underestimating the scale of the cuts. “I never would have expected things to go this far… I’m still in shock,” he admitted.

The growing frustration among former federal workers—many of whom voted for Trump—underscores the chaotic aftermath of the administration’s efforts to slash government spending. While Trump has defended the cuts as necessary to eliminate inefficiency, critics argue that the mass firings have destabilized essential services and left countless workers unemployed without a clear transition plan.

With opposition mounting even among his own supporters, Trump’s handling of government downsizing could become a defining issue in his second term.