'Fork In The Road'—75,000 Federal Workers Took Musk's Offer, But Was It Enough?

Roughly 75,000 federal workers accepted the Trump administration’s buyout offer, falling short of White House expectations but still marking a reduction in government workforce.

The program, which Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk called “Fork in the Road,” attracted about 3% of the 2.4 million civilian federal employees, below the administration’s 5% to 10% target, according to Bloomberg. 

The initiative allows workers to leave in February while remaining on the federal payroll through September.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the results Thursday. “I’m not so sure that we didn’t hit the numbers we wanted — 75,000 people accepted the buyout program,” she said. “That’s going to save millions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

The program, influenced by DOGE, mirrors Musk's strategy at X Twitter. Even the program’s deadline reflected Musk’s style, closing at 4:20 p.m. PT, a number that Musk frequently references.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing agency heads to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force,” with exceptions for public safety, immigration enforcement and law enforcement.

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Union leaders expressed concerns about the program’s legality and logistics. “We continue to maintain it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information,” Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said in a statement on Wednesday after a federal court allowed the program to proceed.

The federal workforce grew 6.3% under then-President Joe Biden, driven by pandemic spending programs. The current 3% reduction would only return employment to 2023 levels.

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Critics highlight potential funding challenges, as the government is only funded through March, raising questions about long-term commitments to departing employees under the Antideficiency Act.

Unions had sought to block the program, warning members about contract provisions that seemingly contradict Office of Personnel Management promises regarding work requirements and outside employment opportunities.

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