the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to overhaul federal agencies, signing a new order this week that calls for sweeping reductions in force (RIFs) across multiple departments. This latest move is part of a broader initiative led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to downsize the federal workforce and cut spending.
Several agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Education, have already seen significant job cuts. Here’s a breakdown of the latest developments.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Sees Mass Dismissals
The CFPB, which oversees financial consumer protection, has already lost 70 employees—mostly probationary workers—out of its 1,700-person workforce.
Newly appointed CFPB Chair Jonathan McKernan replaced acting director Russell Vought, who previously halted agency operations and refused to accept its final funding allocation from the Federal Reserve.
“The Bureau’s current balance of $711.6 million is excessive in the current fiscal environment. This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off,” Vought posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite these cuts, former CFPB Director Richard Cordray believes the administration is proceeding cautiously due to legal protections surrounding the bureau’s structure.
The CFPB has also launched a tip line on X, inviting reports from individuals who feel they are being unfairly pursued by enforcement staff despite Vought’s “stand down” order.
USAID Faces Major Workforce Reduction
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has faced the most drastic cuts so far, with Musk’s DOGE slashing its 10,000-person workforce to just a few hundred.
The agency, responsible for distributing foreign aid, has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, with the administration citing alleged fraud and waste as justification for its dismantling.
However, the cuts have sparked legal challenges, and federal judges have temporarily blocked some of the firings and foreign aid suspensions. Additionally, current and former USAID employees have sued Elon Musk, arguing that he lacked Senate confirmation before making such sweeping changes.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose uncle helped establish USAID, backed Trump’s move, calling the agency a “sinister propagator of totalitarianism.”
Trump Pushes for Department of Education Shutdown
Trump has renewed his calls to shut down the Department of Education, calling it a “big con job” and instructing Musk to investigate its spending.
While the department has already begun terminating employees, exact numbers remain unclear. Trump also signed an executive order to cut federal funding for educational institutions that enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary, acknowledged that while she supports closing the department, some essential programs—such as federal student aid—would need to be relocated elsewhere in the government.
“Even if they shutter the Department of Education, they’re going to have to put FSA somewhere, maybe in Treasury,” former Federal Student Aid COO Richard Cordray explained.
SBA and IRS Also Under Review
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has also been affected, with over 100 employees receiving termination notices following Trump’s latest order.
Meanwhile, Musk’s DOGE has begun reviewing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). While some employees are exempt from buyout offers until after the April 15 tax deadline, over 75,000 federal employees across agencies have already accepted buyouts.
Trump has floated the idea of replacing the IRS with an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and foreign taxes instead. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has raised concerns that DOGE personnel could potentially access private taxpayer data, warning,
“If your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason.”
What’s Next?
With Trump continuing to push his government downsizing agenda, more agencies could face similar restructuring. The legal battles over the firings, foreign aid freezes, and agency shutdowns are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
As the administration presses forward, questions remain about how these changes will impact public services, federal employees, and the overall structure of the U.S. government.
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Go Trump!
OOOOPS . . . when they decided to gut the Dept of Energy, they accidently let go the secutiry staff overseeing our nuclear arms and plutonium stockpiles. I feel so much safer knowing that our nuclear arms and plutonium are unsecured! So tired of winning.
This is not what I was tricked into voting for.
We were much safer when the dementia patient had his finger on the button.
None of our nuclear weapons can be launched by just gaining access to the facilities.
I would fire the jackass that let these employees go. Obviously someone wasn’t thinking it through. I guess it was all about the $ rather than our national security. Yes, we must reduce government waste. However, we are moving much too fast with this “shock and awe” mentality. Is there an adult in the room? Some states and voters are already complaining about govt program cuts being made. Trump promised he would do it, but now because it’s affecting them directly, they’re having buyers remorse. I don’t want to hear the complaining if you voted for him.
Just more democrat drama queen nonsense brought to you by cnn.
Trumps better than a Joe Biden or Kamala would ever dream to be
This was long overdue. Too much much waste. Keep cleaning house!
What I find interesting is that when you go to the DOGE.gov website and want to read more on any particular article it automatically takes you over to X. Of course you can’t get log onto the X website unless you set up an account. Don’t care to do that. So much for transparency. What a joke. Good ole Elon is going to track you and get info on you one way or another.
Trump is doing what he got elected for you should have paid some attention, and turned off the fake news
I think you’re better off not wasting your time. It’s enough to know you’re getting shafted. You don’t really need the details. But Elon should totally keeping bringing his kid AE, or X, or Rumplemintz, or whatever the heck his name is to all the pressers. It’s fun to watch a kid tell Trump to shut up and he just has to sit there like a sad sack and take it.
He’s also getting some extra $ in his pocket when you open an account with X.