Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Plan Large-Scale Staff Cuts With Musk's DOGE

President Trump signed an executive order on February 11, 2025, directing federal agencies to plan large-scale workforce reductions in coordination with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the agency run by Elon Musk. Trump announced the order in the Oval Office with Musk at his side.

The order requires agencies to work with DOGE to identify "large-scale reductions in force" and to determine which components or entire agencies can be eliminated because their functions are not required by law. It also caps new hiring at one employee for every four who leave. Exemptions apply for positions tied to national security, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement. The goal, the administration said, is to "significantly reduce the size of government."

Musk's Role

Musk leads DOGE, which is tasked with finding government waste and cutting redundant functions. The New York Times described the Trump–Musk relationship as one of the most consequential alliances in American government, with Musk acting as an unelected enforcer of the administration's downsizing agenda. Trump has said Musk acts only with his approval. DOGE has released little public information about its staff, locations, or specific actions.

Context

The order built on an earlier federal hiring freeze and voluntary buyout offers to federal workers. Some of those efforts have been challenged in court; a federal judge has blocked certain reduction actions. Musk has defended the push as "commonsense controls" and said voters chose major government reform. Critics say the cuts threaten essential services and that DOGE operates without adequate transparency.

What's Next

Agencies must submit reduction plans to DOGE. Legal challenges to buyouts and hiring limits are likely to continue. The long-term size of the federal workforce will depend on attrition, voluntary separations, and how courts rule on the new policies.