Staff Reports
In a bold move that has left Washington’s political scene buzzing, the Trump administration recently threw a curveball regarding federal employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration. It appears a rather ambitious purge was attempted, aiming to eliminate a whopping 350 employees—yes, you read that right—all under the guise of increasing efficiency. The Department of Government Efficiency, affectionately dubbed DOGE (and no, not named after that internet meme, though it’s hard to ignore the similarity), is leading this charge with none other than Tesla’s own Elon Musk at the helm.
Sources revealed that employees had their access to email terminated before they even got a whiff of their impending doom. Some poor souls attempted to return to work only to find their offices locked and their jobs mysteriously vanished into the ether, likely as part of the government’s ever-elusive employment strategy. What a way to start a Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy insists fewer than 50 staffers were let go, characterizing them as “probationary employees” in administrative roles, because who needs those pesky technical experts anyway?
One Government Agency Is Scrambling to Rehire Hundreds of Fired Employees https://t.co/JqhVrux5DN
— Observing Time (@TimeObserving) February 18, 2025
Of course, what would a good government shakeup be without howls from the Democrats? Senators and representatives wasted no time characterizing these firings as “utterly callous and dangerous,” a claim that inspires enough eye-rolling to power a small town. These lawmakers clearly think that the loss of a few bureaucrats dealing with “woke” issues like climate change spells apocalypse—a sentiment vastly overestimating both the importance of these roles and the actual impact on global security.
To add to the spectacle, reports suggest that DOGE has undertaken a crusade against “woke” initiatives throughout various agencies. The implication is that, with Trump’s stewardship, there may soon be fewer government employees fretting over climate change and more focusing on the actual nuclear issues that keep the country safe. It’s all part of a broader trend of trimming the fat and redirecting resources—something many conservatives have been craving.
The memo from Teresa Robbins, acting administrator for the agency, might just add a dash of drama to this whole scenario. A late-night correspondence rescinding the firings for nearly all but 28 of the terminated staff paints a chaotic picture of an agency in disarray. While the supposed need for governmental efficiency is touted, it’s quite apparent that the execution leaves much to be desired. But, then again, when has government ever prided itself on smooth operations? Don’t count on Washington to ever let a little logical inconsistency get in the way of a good bureaucratic shakeup.
