The US President has signed an executive order aimed at “remaking America’s federal workforce,” but the implementation has already run into major issues.
Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) workforce optimization initiative is now scrambling to reinstate workers who were mistakenly fired—including those responsible for overseeing the country’s nuclear stockpile.
Trump’s executive order, intended to “reform the federal workforce to better serve Americans,” has not gone as smoothly as planned. In fact, officials dismissed a number of employees from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) without allegedly realizing they were overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
A fact sheet published online by the White House on February 11 outlined the administration’s strategy for “reforming the federal workforce to better serve Americans.” One key component involved consulting with DOGE to “shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions,” with the goal of “significantly reducing the size of the government.”
However, just days later, Reuters reported that over 300 employees at the NNSA received termination notices on February 13. A spokesperson for the Energy Department disputed that figure, telling CNN that the actual number of dismissed employees was “less than 50” and that they were primarily in “administrative and clerical roles.”
Regardless of the exact number, concerns quickly arose over the firings. A source told the outlet that Congress was “freaking out because it appears DOE didn’t really realize NNSA oversees the nuclear stockpile.”
“The nuclear deterrent is the backbone of American security and stability—period. For there to be any even very small holes poked even in the maintenance of that deterrent should be extremely frightening to people,” the source added.
Realizing their mistake, officials are now working to reverse some of the terminations. An email obtained by NBC News revealed that they are struggling to reach the affected employees.
Addressed to NNSA staff, the email reportedly stated: “The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel. Please work with your supervisors to send this information (once you get it) to people’s personal contact emails.”
One NNSA nuclear safety specialist who was fired on Thursday told NBC News that she was still locked out of her work email but had been contacted by her manager, who informed her that her termination had been “rescinded.”
While she has agreed to return, she made it clear that she won’t be staying long, stating she’ll be leaving “as soon as I find another role.”
