On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump unveiled a contentious “buyout” scheme aimed at the 2 million-strong federal workforce, calling for widespread resignations. This initiative, communicated through a bulk email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), seems to align with the objectives of **Project 2025**, a plan designed to revamp the federal workforce to install adherents of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
### Federal Workers Push Back
The initiative has elicited swift condemnation. On **r/fednews**, a Reddit forum for federal employees, workers are criticizing the proposal as a tactic to instill fear. Discussions on the platform urge colleagues to remain steadfast, with many rejecting what they view as an intimidation strategy to prompt their resignation.
One post, entitled *”We took an oath to serve our country and fellow Americans. They can drag me out,”* has gained notable traction. Another user cautioned, *”They can’t fire us as easily as they thought, so they are trying to scare us into quitting. Don’t fall for it!”* A third post called on federal workers, asserting, *”To my fellow Feds, especially veterans: we’re at war.”*
### The Controversial Email
The email, named *”A Fork in the Road,”* was linked to a Trump executive order that mandates the conclusion of remote work throughout all federal agencies. It offered federal employees two choices: return to in-person work full-time or resign with a supposed buyout and severance package by September 30. However, Reddit users rapidly analyzed the offer, uncovering significant inconsistencies.
According to the fine print of the email, the “buyout” is not an actual severance package but a “deferred resignation” program. Employees who choose this option would maintain their telework status until September 30, 2025, but would eventually be compelled to exit. The offer also does not guarantee severance pay, casting doubt on its authenticity.
*”If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason),”* the email outlines. Detractors, including federal employees and lawmakers, have condemned the plan as deceptive and manipulative.
### Lawmakers and Experts Weigh In
Senator Tim Kaine has openly denounced the proposal, branding it *“a scam.”* He highlighted that the federal budget only covers expenses through March, with no funds allocated for buyouts. This casts doubt on whether employees who resign can expect to receive the promised compensation.
### Echoes of Musk’s Playbook
Observers have pointed out notable parallels between this federal workforce initiative and strategies previously utilized by Elon Musk. When Musk took over Twitter in 2022, he sent an email with the same title, *”A Fork in the Road,”* offering employees the option to resign with severance or commit to a “hardcore” working atmosphere. Many of those employees subsequently had to take legal action against Musk to collect the promised severance pay.
Musk’s impact seems to have reached beyond the tech industry into federal staffing. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—previously the U.S. Digital Service—Musk has positioned several close associates in influential roles within OPM. Reports from **WIRED** suggest that these associates may have contributed to the creation of the controversial email communication.
### Social Media Amplifies the Narrative
As the backlash surged on Reddit, Musk turned to X (formerly Twitter) to bolster his narrative. He retweeted posts portraying federal employees as unproductive and lazy, while DOGE’s official X account characterized the deferred resignation program as a “paid vacation” where workers could *”just watch movies and chill.”*
### Federal Employees Stand Firm
In spite of the pressure, numerous federal employees are choosing not to waver. On **r/fednews**, posts continue to motivate workers to resist the administration’s attempts to alter the federal workforce. One post, titled *”Standing Strong: Why We Won’t Give Up on Our Work,”* encapsulates the resolve of many federal employees committed to maintaining their duties and obligations.
While the extent to which workers will accept the deferred resignation offer remains uncertain, one fact is clear: the resistance among federal employees is on the rise. For now, they are standing strong against what they perceive as an endeavor by Trump and Musk to reshape the government in their likeness.