Valentine’s Day Massacre: Trump and Musk’s DOGE Sparks Chaos with Mass Federal Layoffs
By: Christopher Denson , February 18, 2025
On February 14, 2025, in a sweeping move dubbed the “Valentine’s Day Massacre” by critics, President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) executed mass layoffs affecting thousands of federal employees. The terminations, which primarily impacted probationary workers with less job protection, have ignited outrage, legal challenges, and fears of systemic collapse across critical government agencies.
The layoffs impacted more than 200,000 probationary federal employees—those who have been with their agencies for less than one year—across various departments, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Energy, and the U.S. Forest Service. Key sectors affected include:
Over 5,200 employees were laid off at the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, including the entire first-year class of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, known as the “disease detectives.”
Veterans Affairs: More than 1,000 VA employees, including mental health specialists and cancer researchers, were terminated despite the agency’s chronic understaffing.
3,400 U.S. Forest Service workers lost their jobs, risking wildfire response teams.
Numerous employees were terminated at the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), severely impacting student aid and financial oversight programs.
The terminations were carried out abruptly, often via emails, video calls, and locked system access, leaving employees like ndrew Lennox a Marine veteran working at the VA, feeling “like a pawn in Musk’s ideological battle.”
The VA Massacre, where one-third of the workforce are veterans, faced particularly harsh criticism. The agency’s ability to process disability claims, provide medical care, and support transitioning service members is now at risk due to hiring freezes and staffing cuts. “They’re sacrificing veterans to fund tax cuts for billionaires,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).
At the CDC, the loss of disease detectives—crucial during past Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks—has raised alarms about preparedness for future health crises. Similarly, the Department of Energy’s layoffs included specialists managing nuclear security and radiation exposure, with some staff hastily rehired after the backlash.
The firings have sparked a wave of lawsuits and bipartisan condemnation:
Unions and Advocacy Groups: The National Treasury Employees Union and Democracy Forward have filed lawsuits alleging unlawful terminations and violations of federal personnel laws.
Republican critics have expressed their concerns about recent actions. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) described the cuts as “indiscriminate” and harmful. Additionally, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) criticized the FBI’s layoff decisions, calling them counterproductive.
In the courts, judges have temporarily blocked DOGE’s access to Treasury data and reinstated previously dismissed watchdogs, citing constitutional concerns regarding Musk’s unchecked authority.
Despite claims of saving “$98 million annually” (VA) and eliminating “waste,” experts note that federal salaries account for only 3% of the budget, with deficits projected to exceed $1 trillion regardless.
Elon Musk, currently serving as an unpaid “special government employee,” has presented DOGE as a “common sense” initiative aimed at eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies. However, critics point out significant conflicts of interest:
Privatization Agenda?
DOGE’s hiring freeze and IT modernization efforts align closely with Musk’s business interests, particularly SpaceX, which has secured $3.8 billion in federal contracts.
DOGE’s operations are marked by a lack of transparency—there is no public website, and Musk has admitted to factual inaccuracies regarding his claims about cost-saving measures, leading to increased public distrust.
For workers like David Rice, a disabled Army veteran fired from the Department of Energy, the cuts represent a betrayal: “We’re trying to help people, and now we’re collateral damage.” Others, including USDA employee Nicholas Detter, received termination notices even after accepting voluntary buyouts, leaving families in financial limbo.
What’s Next? With additional layoffs “forthcoming” at the Agriculture Department and beyond, the fallout threatens to destabilize crucial services such as wildfire response and veteran healthcare. As unions rally and lawsuits mount, the Valentine’s Day Massacre may mark the beginning of a protracted battle over the soul of the federal workforce—and determining who holds the axe.
For further details, refer to sources from CNN, Rolling Stone, and NPR.
