Image credit: Grok/X

In a move remarkably reminiscent of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting purge at Twitter, President Donald Trump has offered millions of federal employees a severance package if they agree to resign within days.

The mass email, sent Tuesday, instructs workers to decide by February 6 whether they wish to take part in a "deferred resignation program."

Those who opt in would receive roughly eight months of pay as a severance package, with benefits extending until September 30.

The administration expects up to 10% of the federal workforce—around 200,000 employees—to take the deal, potentially saving the government an estimated $100 billion, according CBS News.

The approach bears a strong resemblance to Musk’s infamous "hardcore" email to Twitter staff in 2022, in which employees were asked to confirm their commitment to an intense new work culture or effectively resign.

Musk’s message demanded a reply to opt in, while Trump’s administration is flipping the script—workers willing to leave must reply with a single word in the subject line: "resign."

The email, sent by the Office of Personnel Management (the government’s HR department), also warned those who choose to stay that job security is not guaranteed.

The message reads:

"We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated, you will be treated with dignity"

Some federal employees were excluded from the buyout offer, including postal workers, military personnel, immigration officers, and certain national security staff.

Trump has long vowed to shrink the size of the federal government and eliminate what he views as bureaucratic bloat. His administration has enlisted Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy—who briefly led the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" (Doge)—to spearhead efforts to streamline government operations. Ramaswamy has since stepped down from the advisory role.

Musk’s 2022 email to Twitter employees, which led to a mass exodus of workers, is widely regarded as a watershed moment in corporate restructuring—one that Trump now seems keen to emulate within the federal government.

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Musk’s ultimatum demanded employees embrace his vision for the company or walk away with severance. The response gutted Twitter’s workforce overnight.

Trump’s approach, though directed at a government workforce rather than a private company, follows a similar playbook: a sudden, sweeping offer, a short deadline, and an expectation that those who remain will be more aligned with his administration’s objectives.

Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, made that alignment explicit, telling CNN that government workers are "overwhelmingly left of center" and that cutting headcount is "essential" for Trump to "get control of government."

The federal buyout offer came at the end of a chaotic day in Washington, following Trump’s abrupt directive to freeze federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance.

That order was temporarily blocked by a district judge, leaving many agencies scrambling for clarity. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats condemned the move, calling it an "alarming" disruption of government operations.

Also on Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors, a move likely to face legal challenges. But it’s his mass email to federal workers that could have the most immediate impact—potentially reshaping the government’s workforce in a way that mirrors Musk’s radical transformation of Twitter, now X.

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