Special Poll
A federal judge on Wednesday removed a major legal obstacle that had been delaying President Donald Trump’s effort to reduce the federal workforce through a deferred resignation program.
The ruling, issued by a Boston-based judge, marks a significant legal victory for Trump after facing multiple legal challenges in court. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions, who had sought to block the program.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt welcomed the ruling, stating, “This proves that legal maneuvers cannot override the will of the 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his policies.”
Despite the setback, labor unions are not giving up. A separate lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, though its potential impact remains uncertain.
According to McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), approximately 75,000 federal workers have already chosen to participate in the program, which allows employees to resign voluntarily while receiving pay until September 30. She described the initiative as a way to provide workers with financial stability while they transition out of government service and confirmed that the program is now closed to new applicants.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, criticized the ruling, calling it a setback in the fight for fairness and dignity for public servants. However, he emphasized that this was not the end of the legal battle and noted that the court ruling did not determine whether the program itself was lawful.
Kelley and other labor advocates argue that forcing employees to make a major career decision in just a few days—without enough information—creates unnecessary hardship for families. Their concerns were reflected in a union statement that likened the resignation program to an “unfunded IOU from Elon Musk.”
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr., appointed by former President Bill Clinton, dismissed the case on the grounds that the unions lacked legal standing to challenge the program, which is commonly referred to as a buyout.
The deferred resignation program was spearheaded by Elon Musk, who has been leading the administration’s efforts to cut federal spending. Under the initiative, federal employees who sign up are allowed to stop working immediately while still receiving their salaries until the end of September.
Unions have argued that the plan is illegal and had asked the court to pause the program and prevent OPM from recruiting more employees to participate.
A Justice Department attorney, however, defended the initiative, describing it as a “humane off-ramp” for federal employees who structured their lives around remote work and are now required to return to government offices.
As the legal fight continues, the decision marks a key moment in the administration’s broader effort to reshape the federal workforce.