Donald Trump’s administration is currently chaotic, thanks to the drama unfolding every day in America. The taste is subject to change at any moment with new ingredients, oh, we mean new announcements and policies. As we all know, how Trump’s orbit introduced the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Trump made Elon Musk the head of DOGE, and the duo was meant to work together to bring significant changes to America’s digital space.
DOGE’s goal was to reduce federal spending by slashing jobs and canceling leases. At one point, over 800 lease cancellation notices were sent out, many without notifying the federal workers who still occupied the buildings (some were sent out overnight emails, given less than 24 hours to vacate their places, and so on). While the outrage was massive and tragic, DOGE continued claiming that it was for the betterment of America.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Trump reportedly fell out over political differences, after which Musk stepped down as DOGE’s advisor and launched his own political party. Now, as per The Mirror, the hundreds of federal workers who were laid off earlier this year are being asked to return to their jobs after major staffing and property cuts.
According to a memo from the General Services Administration (GSA), employees have until the end of the week to accept or reject reinstatement. The seven-month gap left many properties sitting unused, costing taxpayers millions as leases expired or were terminated prematurely.
Workforce shrinkage?
“Week after week people keep “disappearing” from org charts but it’s a slow drip. No BIG layoffs but constant RIFs. No goodbyes, no notices. Just people gone. And nobody is supposed to notice internally or you get a reminder that “some things are…
— Amanda Goodall (@thejobchick) July 26, 2025
“It left the agency broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA official who now works with government property owners. He added that GSA has been in “triage mode” ever since. While DOGE made big promises to Americans, the initiative ran into trouble. Out of the 7,500 leases initially targeted, more than 480 have since been saved. The projected savings dropped from $460 million to $140 million by July, according to Becker.
At its worst, the downsizing left GSA with 79% fewer headquarters staff, 65% fewer portfolio managers, and 35% fewer facility managers. This instance led to 131 government leases expiring without the agencies leaving the buildings. These bad numbers resulted in massive pressure on the taxpayers, as landlords couldn’t re-rent the spaces.
📰Latest News Alert
GSA walks back mass layoffs of its federal buildings workforce . The Public Buildings Service faced the brunt of GSA’s widespread layoffs,… https://t.co/qIOaHZktNn pic.twitter.com/OBDUgihOdz
— layoffhub (@layoffhub) September 22, 2025
Recently, the whole department came under scrutiny, as a Senate report revealed that it has cost taxpayers $21.7 billion. According to the report, a large portion of the spending was directed toward paying roughly 200,000 federal employees not to work under DOGE’s “deferred resignation” program.
The administration has been accused of wasting funds after spending $66 million hiring scientists, health care professionals, and others, followed by another $110 million worth of food aid and medical supplies left in storage facilities. Many anti-DOGE citizens argued the department’s aggressive restructuring was poorly managed and left agencies struggling, with many suspended workers uncertain about their futures.
One affected employee told HuffPost, “We’re just guessing when our pay might stop, maybe this week, maybe next month.” Similarly, Democrats criticized the cuts, calling them chaotic and ineffective.
Democrats did the math on DOGE’s “war on waste.” It’s costing Americans $21.7 billion, they concluded. https://t.co/qajLog4m2E
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) August 1, 2025
“There’s no evidence these cuts saved any money,” said Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona, a Democrat on the committee that oversees GSA. “They’ve confused and weakened essential government services.” He also highlighted how Trump dismisses anyone who turns against his ideas. Now, the Government Accountability Office is investigating the situation and will release findings in the coming months.
Trump is gutting @fema with layoffs and cuts. When he suspended the experts who said he’s putting American lives at risk, I flew to Washington to meet with the whistleblowers & denounce these Putin-like tactics. I’ll keep leading the fight to strengthen FEMA, not dismantle it. pic.twitter.com/VAOQdsp5X5
— Rep. Greg Stanton (@RepGregStanton) August 31, 2025
Donald Trump and his team have been accused of lying about things in the past, especially when it came to reporting facts and figures, so we aren’t very sure how the matter will be handled. All we can do is let time unfold the answers.
