The Trump purge: Nearly 1 in 5 federal workers left their roles since president took office

Nearly one in five U.S. federal employees has left government since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025, and Black workers have been hit harder than others, according to a Washington Post analysis of Office of Personnel Management figures. The tally is 426,000 full-time staff gone in 18 months, out of 2.2 million inherited from Joe Biden. That compares with about one in seven departing across Biden's term and one in eight during Trump's first, according to The Independent.

The Post found that just 32,000 were fired outright; 85 percent resigned or retired, with a surge of almost 121,000 exits in September 2025 as early-departure incentives took effect. After new hires and court-ordered reinstatements, the net loss is 255,000, leaving 1.94 million employees, a 12 percent drop that returns the workforce to its January 2013 size.

Black employees made up 19 percent of the workforce but saw a 30 percent decline in employment over the comparison period. Of 200 staff covered by a DOGE planning guide targeting diversity offices, 52 percent are no longer employed by government. OPM Director Scott Kupor said most departures were voluntary. A White House official said the administration obeys federal anti-discrimination employment rules.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →