Fact Check: Trump's executive order could cause hundreds of thousands of federal workers to lose jobs.

Fact Check: "Trump's executive order could cause hundreds of thousands of federal workers to lose jobs."

What We Know

The claim that "Trump's executive order could cause hundreds of thousands of federal workers to lose jobs" is rooted in actions taken by the Trump administration regarding federal workforce restructuring. In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to initiate plans for "large-scale" reductions-in-force, which is a term used for layoffs within the federal workforce (source-1). This order was subsequently challenged in court, but the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court's injunction that had blocked these layoffs, allowing the administration to proceed with its plans (source-2).

Estimates from the Trump administration indicated that approximately 50,000 federal employees could lose their civil service protections, which would make them more vulnerable to job loss without the usual legal safeguards (source-5). However, the broader claim of "hundreds of thousands" losing jobs is not directly substantiated by specific figures from the administration or court rulings.

Analysis

The claim's validity hinges on the interpretation of the executive order and its potential impact on federal employment. While the executive order does indeed create a pathway for significant job losses within federal agencies, the actual number of employees affected remains uncertain. The Supreme Court's decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its plans does indicate a likelihood of job cuts, but the extent of these cuts is still subject to legal and administrative processes (source-4).

Critically, the sources reporting on this issue vary in their focus. For instance, while the New York Times and CBS News emphasize the Supreme Court's role in enabling these layoffs, they do not provide specific estimates that reach the "hundreds of thousands" figure (source-1, source-4). On the other hand, the Federal News Network specifically mentions a figure of 50,000 employees potentially losing protections, which is a more concrete estimate but still does not encompass the broader claim of hundreds of thousands (source-5).

The reliability of the sources is generally high, with major news outlets and legal analyses providing the information. However, the potential for bias exists, particularly in the framing of the executive order's implications for federal workers.

Conclusion

The claim that "Trump's executive order could cause hundreds of thousands of federal workers to lose jobs" is Partially True. While the executive order and subsequent Supreme Court ruling do open the door for significant job losses within the federal workforce, the specific figure of "hundreds of thousands" is not substantiated by available data. Instead, estimates suggest that around 50,000 employees could be directly affected by the loss of civil service protections, which is a substantial but not overwhelming number compared to the claim.

Sources

1. Supreme Court Clears Way for Mass Firings at Federal Agencies
2. Supreme Court lets Trump resume plans for mass federal layoffs
3. Which federal workers could lose protections under Trump order
4. Supreme Court clears way for Trump to move forward with mass ...
5. Trump administration estimates 50,000 federal employees will ...
6. Executive Orders Impacting the Federal Workforce
7. Trump Impact: Federal workers could lose job protections ...