Amidst their attempt to save government money, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been firing people from almost all federal departments.
Donald Trump and DOGE have been on a mission to save the government’s money by any means possible. This includes stopping funding to several projects and firing hundreds of federal employees.
None of these steps were expected by anyone, and they surprised everyone. However, one decision that even shocked Republicans was when DOGE decided to terminate 300-400 employees who were stationed at nuclear weapon stations.
These were National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) staff. They were in charge of creating and managing the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. They were among a greater number of employees fired from the Energy Department.
Everyone around the world was taken aback when Elon Musk-led DOGE fired more than 30% of nuclear weapon workers. Tara Copp, a Pentagon Correspondent with Associate Press, reported that among several stations, the one hit the most was Pantex, near Amarillo, Texas. The station saw a maximum cut of 30% of workers. Copp added that the role of these workers and feds who work and oversee the most sensitive missions must be respected.
Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say — CNN
Energy Dept began rescinding the terminations Friday morning — CNN
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) February 15, 2025
The Internet went berserk with memes and comedic takedowns of these steps. Molly Jong-Fast, columnist and political analyst, called the step whoops but later said it would be fine, though. Others called out that Donald Trump and Elon were making America weak from within.
Once the administration realized their mistake, they scrambled to rehire almost everyone.
Donald Trump was not only mocked but also ridiculed for his handling of mass firings and then panic around the nuclear warfare in the country.
Trump’s Purge Hits Nuclear Weapons Agency—Setting Off National Crisis
They had to call back 300 of these critical workers. https://t.co/PA56wEPKv3 via @newrepublic
— ⚔️Midnight Angel🆓🇺🇸 (@SweetDanger69) February 14, 2025
It may sound funny right now, but such irresponsible steps can cause major issues with the system. These will then make the country vulnerable to foreign attacks in the future.
As the NNSA administrator during the Biden administration, Jill Hruby told Bloomberg that he was worried about those who were let go. These positions require high-level security clearances and training that can take 18 months or longer.
It’s unlikely that these individuals will ever return to work for the government. In a telephone interview, Hruby stated, “We have a very active program that requires an increase in our staff. So the indiscriminate layoffs of people will be really difficult for the coming years.”
The NNSA layoffs were part of a larger wave of layoffs in the Energy Department. It also included staff members at the department’s general counsel office and the Loan Programs Office which is a newly established unit to finance clean energy projects. The list also had the team in charge of guarding against cyberattacks against the power grid.
