Dave Davies

Let's pause on that for a second. I mean, what does that tell you about how government employees feel about their jobs and about this buyout offer, if we can call it that?

Let's pause on that for a second. I mean, what does that tell you about how government employees feel about their jobs and about this buyout offer, if we can call it that?

So let's talk about the next big effort, which was the sweeping purge of employees who were on probation, presumably because they didn't yet have the requisite time to get full civil service protection so that they were more vulnerable. You've written that this might be one of the worst ways to trim a workforce. Why?

So let's talk about the next big effort, which was the sweeping purge of employees who were on probation, presumably because they didn't yet have the requisite time to get full civil service protection so that they were more vulnerable. You've written that this might be one of the worst ways to trim a workforce. Why?

So let's talk about the next big effort, which was the sweeping purge of employees who were on probation, presumably because they didn't yet have the requisite time to get full civil service protection so that they were more vulnerable. You've written that this might be one of the worst ways to trim a workforce. Why?

Trevor Burrus So if I put these two things together, it seems as if the deferred departure, so we call buyout offer, was designed as supposed to get higher paid, probably more experienced people in government who – Doge probably thought were not that productive anyway, try to get them to leave. The result seems to have been that the departures were exactly what you'd expect in a normal year.

Trevor Burrus So if I put these two things together, it seems as if the deferred departure, so we call buyout offer, was designed as supposed to get higher paid, probably more experienced people in government who – Doge probably thought were not that productive anyway, try to get them to leave. The result seems to have been that the departures were exactly what you'd expect in a normal year.

Trevor Burrus So if I put these two things together, it seems as if the deferred departure, so we call buyout offer, was designed as supposed to get higher paid, probably more experienced people in government who – Doge probably thought were not that productive anyway, try to get them to leave. The result seems to have been that the departures were exactly what you'd expect in a normal year.

So that didn't really work. But they are trimming a lot of people who presumably are bringing new energy and talent.

So that didn't really work. But they are trimming a lot of people who presumably are bringing new energy and talent.

So that didn't really work. But they are trimming a lot of people who presumably are bringing new energy and talent.

We have an older workforce, I gather, from your writing in the federal government. What are the implications of that for this massive reduction effort?

We have an older workforce, I gather, from your writing in the federal government. What are the implications of that for this massive reduction effort?

We have an older workforce, I gather, from your writing in the federal government. What are the implications of that for this massive reduction effort?

You know, there was an extraordinary move, and I mentioned this in the introduction, which I think is a measure of Musk's influence in the government, that he got these emails sent to people last weekend instructing them to reply with five bullet points stating what they'd accomplished the previous week. There was some pushback. Some agency had said, you don't have to do that.

You know, there was an extraordinary move, and I mentioned this in the introduction, which I think is a measure of Musk's influence in the government, that he got these emails sent to people last weekend instructing them to reply with five bullet points stating what they'd accomplished the previous week. There was some pushback. Some agency had said, you don't have to do that.

You know, there was an extraordinary move, and I mentioned this in the introduction, which I think is a measure of Musk's influence in the government, that he got these emails sent to people last weekend instructing them to reply with five bullet points stating what they'd accomplished the previous week. There was some pushback. Some agency had said, you don't have to do that.

But, you know, Musk added in this social media post that failure to respond would be taken as a resignation. What was your reaction when you heard about this?

But, you know, Musk added in this social media post that failure to respond would be taken as a resignation. What was your reaction when you heard about this?

But, you know, Musk added in this social media post that failure to respond would be taken as a resignation. What was your reaction when you heard about this?