U.S. State Department has fired 1,353 employees, including 1,107 civil service and 246 Foreign Service staff, as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to reduce government size, following a Supreme Court decision on July 8 that lifted a block on his layoffs.
Trump, who took office in January, aims to dismantle the “deep state” by replacing veteran workers with loyalists.
The layoffs, criticized as haphazard and damaging by former officials like Ned Price and Barbara Leaf, are expected to weaken U.S. global influence and national security.
Affected employees were notified by email, with Foreign Service officers placed on 120-day administrative leave and civil service staff given 60 days. Emotional scenes unfolded as departing employees left the State Department’s Washington headquarters.
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