Approximately 75,000 federal workers have accepted the White House’s “deferred resignation” offer to take a buyout while still being paid through September, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
The offer’s deadline closed Wednesday after a federal judge ruled to end a temporary pause to the program.
The Boston-based judge’s order in the challenge filed by a group of labor unions was a significant legal victory for the Republican president.
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“This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
NBC News reports the number of federal employees who are reported to have taken the offer amounts to around 3.75 percent of the federal workforce, and includes those offered a buyout in the CIA.
The number of employees who accepted the offer was first reported by Semafor.
Trump’s buyout program is part of the administration’s broader efforts to radically downsize the federal workforce in the name of efficiency.
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On Tuesday, the president signed an executive order also aimed at this key initiative.
The order directed agencies to work with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut staff and limit hiring, with a goal of “significantly” reducing the size of government and accompanying drain on taxpayer dollars.
