Thousands of federal employees were fired as President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk's downsizing efforts began this week, Reuters reported on Friday (February 14).

The majority of firings made so far have affected recently hired employees still on probation at departments including Veterans Affairs, Education and the Small Business Administration. Officials representing the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees federal hiring, met with government agencies on Thursday and advised them to fire employees who are still on probation, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed.

An estimated 280,000 employees among the total 2.3 million federal workforce were hired within the past two years, the majority of which are still on probation and viewed as being easier to fire, according to government data obtained by Reuters. The Trump administration's downsizing efforts appeared to have widened when Musk aides arrived at the International Revenue Service for the first time on Thursday and U.S. embassies were warned to prepare for staff cuts.

The Trump administration claims that the federal government is too bloated and is attempting to downsize in order to combat some of the $36 trillion debt, as well as the $1.8 trillion deficit created in the last fiscal year, a move that has seen some bipartisan support. Critics have, however, questioned the approach taken by Musk, the world's richest person, who appears to have a strong influence on the administration despite having never been elected to office.

On Tuesday (February 12), Musk defended the firings as he claimed the U.S. shouldn't be run by a "bureaucracy."

“If the people cannot vote and have their will be decided by their elected representatives in the form of the president and the Senate and the House, then we don’t live in a Democracy. We live in a bureaucracy,” Musk said while speaking next Trump in the Oval Office via the New York Post.

Courts have pushed back on the Trump administration's attempt to revamp government structure and the president said he would "abide" by the rulings but planned to appeal.

Preston Scott