What is the scope and impact of the Trump administration's federal workforce reduction efforts?

The Trump administration has implemented sweeping mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies, affecting approximately 220,000 workers with tens of thousands facing immediate job losses. The cuts particularly target recently hired employees and impact major agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. These dramatic workforce reductions represent significant political maneuvering that creates tension between cost-cutting objectives and traditional merit-based federal employment principles. The scale of these layoffs demonstrates the administration's commitment to reducing government size, though it raises questions about maintaining essential government services and the long-term implications for federal operations.