
Monday, July 14, 2025 by Lance D Johnson
http://www.progress.news/2025-07-14-thousands-fired-from-state-department-as-trump-guts-bloated-bureaucracy.html
The wheels of government grinds slowly, sucking from the country’s most productive—until a decisive leader cuts the fat and puts his foot on the accelerator. In his first term, Trump didn’t care about government waste, but with DOGE bringing government inefficiencies to light, Trump has made cutting government a top priority. Over the next few days, the Trump administration is set to dismiss thousands of employees at the U.S. State Department, marking one of the most aggressive overhauls of federal bureaucracy in modern history. Supporters hail the move as necessary to dismantle inefficiency and entrenched resistance, while Democrats cry foul as America faces escalating global crises.
One thing is undeniable: the federal bureaucracy has ballooned beyond recognition, filled with redundant offices, ineffective programs, and bureaucrats who serve the system rather than the people. Now, Trump’s team is wielding the axe—and they aren’t stopping with diplomacy.
Key points:
Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokeswoman, didn’t mince words: “When something is too large to operate, too bureaucratic, to actually function… it has to change.” This isn’t just a reorganization—it’s a demolition. The administration contends that decades of unchecked bureaucratic growth have stifled American interests, with overlapping offices and sluggish decision-making undermining true diplomatic agility.
Congressional filings reveal an estimated 15% reduction of domestic State Department staff, targeting civil and foreign service roles. Offices handling everything from Afghanistan oversight to refugee resettlement are on the chopping block. And while critics lament the loss of institutional memory, supporters argue that trimming dead weight will increase efficiency, allowing a leaner, more responsive diplomatic corps to emerge.
Trump has long railed against the deep state—the entrenched network of career bureaucrats resistant to presidential directives. His allies see these firings as a necessary correction, replacing ideological obstructionists with loyalists who prioritize America First policies. Already, Trump loyalists are drafting plans to replicate these cuts across the Justice Department, Pentagon, and FBI, reshaping federal agencies from the inside out.
But opposition remains fierce. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) condemned the layoffs as a “catastrophic blow to national interests,” arguing that skilled diplomats are being sacrificed for political expediency. Meanwhile, former Biden administration spokesman Ned Price blasted the firings on social media, calling them “haphazard” and reckless.
Yet, Marco Rubio insists this isn’t personal—just necessary. “Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people,” he clarified during a press briefing. But for those holding boxes as they exit State Department headquarters, the distinction may feel academic.
This is only the beginning. The Supreme Court’s green light means the administration can extend layoffs to other agencies—potentially reaching 50,000 terminations. Already, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been gutted, redirecting humanitarian aid through more controlled channels.
As government employees are sent packing, some are asking whether artificial intelligence is making systems more efficient, allowing administrators to cut human employees, as if they are waste, substandard to AI advances. This will become more commonplace, especially in government, where people are wasting time just to fill sometimes worthless bureaucratic roles.
Historical precedent suggests bureaucratic resistance will intensify. But Trump’s allies are prepared. The goal? A government that runs faster, cheaper, and more aligned with national interests—not career bureaucrats clinging to power. Whether this upheaval strengthens America or weakens its global standing remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the era of unchecked bureaucratic bloat is ending, and it will rapidly accelerate with the inclusion of AI into government systems.
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Tagged Under: Tags: afsa, America first, bureaucratic overhaul, civil service, deep state, deep state purge, diplomatic corps, diplomatic shakeup, executive power, federal bureaucracy, federal workforce, foreign service, government efficiency, government reform, institutional resistance, Marco Rubio, mass layoffs, State Department, Supreme Court, Trump administration
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