Donald Trump Highlights the Reduction of Over 270,000 Federal Jobs During His Second Term
Donald Trump in July 2023.
Credit:
Mario Tama/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Donald Trump claimed responsibility for eliminating hundreds of thousands of federal jobs in a December 26 post on Truth Social.
- The White House’s Rapid Response team reported that the number of job positions within the U.S. government is at its lowest level since 2014, with 271,000 roles abolished.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the U.S. unemployment rate in November was 4.6%, with 7.8 million people unemployed.
Former President Donald Trump, who has branded himself a “president for the workers” focused on protecting the middle class, asserted that he has eliminated hundreds of thousands of federal jobs.
In a Truth Social post dated December 26, Trump shared a screenshot from the White House’s Rapid Response account highlighting that government job positions are at their lowest since 2014, specifically noting the elimination of 271,000 roles.
The Rapid Response account remarked, “Promises made, promises kept,” reiterating support for Trump’s “America First” agenda.
In his Truth Social post, Trump celebrated these job reductions, declaring it “Big news for the USA!”
Donald Trump in December 2025.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty
Trump was re-elected in November 2024, defeating Kamala Harris. He previously served from 2017 to 2021, winning against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election but losing to Joe Biden in his 2020 reelection bid.
Following his victory in 2024, Trump appointed Elon Musk as co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was designed to initiate significant cuts in areas deemed redundant by his administration.
Trump expressed that the goal of DOGE was to create “a smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy.” He signed an executive order extending the organization’s existence through July 2026. However, in November, Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, stated that DOGE “doesn’t exist” and is no longer a “centralized entity,” as reported by Reuters.
Prior to this, Musk had announced his departure from DOGE in May after publicly criticizing Trump’s budget legislative agenda.
Donald Trump in October 2020.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at 4.6% as of November, with 7.8 million individuals unemployed. This figure contrasts with the previous year’s rate of 4.2% and 7.1 million unemployed.
While employment levels rose in sectors such as healthcare and construction during November, the federal government workforce continued to shrink.
A recent YouGov/Economist poll revealed that Trump’s approval rating among Americans stands at 39%, with 57% disapproving of his presidency and 4% remaining uncertain. The survey gathered responses from 1,592 U.S. citizens across various demographics between December 20 and December 22.
