A U.S. judge on Wednesday lifted a temporary freeze on a federal buyout plan, marking a victory for President Donald Trump’s efforts to dramatically shrink the government workforce.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole, who had paused the initiative last week, ruled that labor unions lacked the standing to challenge the mass buyout program, which was spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk.
The plan, dubbed the “Fork in the Road” directive, offered more than two million federal employees a choice: accept eight months’ pay to voluntarily leave their jobs or risk termination in future workforce reductions. The White House reported that over 65,000 workers have already accepted the offer, which was managed by the Office of Personnel Management.
Labor unions representing federal employees had sued to block the initiative, arguing that it unlawfully pressured public servants into leaving their jobs without sufficient information or guarantees. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents 800,000 federal workers, called the ruling “a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants.”
“Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program,” said AFGE national president Everett Kelley. “We maintain that it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make such a rushed decision based on what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk.”
Musk’s Role in Government Downsizing
Musk, Trump’s largest financial backer and the world’s richest person, heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is tasked with cutting hundreds of billions in federal spending. His sweeping reforms have already resulted in the effective closure of several government agencies, the dismissal of thousands of federal employees, and multiple legal challenges.
Trump’s aggressive executive actions have faced pushback in courts across the country. On Wednesday, the White House accused judges of “abusing their power” to block the administration’s initiatives.
“The real constitutional crisis is happening in our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal districts are overstepping their authority to unilaterally obstruct President Trump’s executive powers,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
She argued that judges—appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, including Trump himself—were acting as “judicial activists rather than impartial interpreters of the law.”
Despite the ongoing legal battles, Leavitt celebrated the lifted freeze as “the first of many legal wins for the President.”
Administration Stands Behind Musk
Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaking at her first press conference, defended Musk and his role in the administration’s plans.
“Elon Musk is a great man,” Bondi stated. “We are going to back him up every way we can.”
When asked if the Trump administration would attempt to impeach federal judges who oppose its policies, Bondi dismissed the idea for now but hinted at potential action in the future.
“These are federal judges with lifetime appointments,” she acknowledged. “But ultimately, if the appellate courts don’t follow the law, the Supreme Court of the United States will have the final say.”
