In a sweeping move to reduce the size of the federal government, President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk have escalated their campaign to downsize US agencies, with more than 9,500 workers terminated across key departments including Interior, Energy, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services (HHS). The layoffs, which began Friday, have raised alarm among unions, state officials, and workers, many of whom are challenging the legality of Musk’s unprecedented role in reshaping federal institutions. The latest wave of firings follows Trump’s long-standing pledge to reduce what he sees as a bloated federal bureaucracy, contributing to the nation’s $36 trillion debt and last year’s $1.8 trillion deficit. While the cuts have primarily affected probationary employees within their first year of service—who have fewer legal protections—they reflect a broader strategy to downsize government. This marks a continuation of Trump and Musk’s plan, which has already resulted in approximately 75,000 federal workers accepting buyouts as part of a voluntary separation initiative. In total, the reductions account for nearly 3% of the federal civilian workforce. Unions and …