This is an unusual attempt to reduce the state apparatus and thus fulfill a key campaign promise: The Trump administration has offered generous benefits to employees in departments and federal agencies if they voluntarily resign.
About two million people have received an email with such content. Anyone who returns the email with a reply "resign" will continue to receive their full salary until September, the offer says.
Generous benefits upon leaving
“If they help make America great again, they are free to look for another job. "If their employment is terminated, the Trump administration will give them generous compensation for a period of eight months," Trump spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said.
The offer is valid from today until February 6, ARD specifies. Employees of the Department of Defense, the Postal Service and all agencies involved in the deportation of illegal immigrants or national security are excluded. Those who do not accept the offer cannot be sure that they will keep their jobs. But if the worst comes to the worst, they will be “treated with dignity”, the Trump administration assures.
The letters are reminiscent of Musk's emails
During his election campaign, Donald Trump promised to streamline the state apparatus and make it more efficient. His advisor Elon Musk is expected to make specific proposals in this regard.
It was initially unclear whether the email was the result of the tech billionaire's initiative. However, according to US media, the letter strongly resembles emails that Musk sent to employees of the social platform X, before Twitter, shortly after it was acquired. Unlike now, then Twitter employees had to actively confirm that they wanted to work for the new boss. Now civil servants only have to respond if they are ready to leave.
Author: Julia Kastein (ARD)