TRENTON, NJ — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday morning that the administration was satisfied with the number of federal workers who accepted a voluntary buyout program, despite questions over whether the initiative met its goals.
“I’m not so sure that we didn’t hit the numbers we wanted,” Leavitt said. “75,000 people accepted the buyout program. That’s going to save millions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”
Key points
- State attorneys general oppose buyout plan: New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and 20 other attorneys general filed an amicus brief challenging the Trump administration’s federal worker buyout plan, calling it coercive and harmful to public services.
- Legal battle over “Fork in the Road” directive: Federal employee unions sued the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, arguing the directive pressured workers into resigning under unclear terms, leading a federal judge to delay the program’s deadline until February 10.
- Concerns over government operations: The attorneys general warn that the mass departure of federal workers could disrupt essential services, including disaster response and veterans’ care, and are urging the court to block the directive.
When asked why the administration did not extend the opt-in deadline, Leavitt said the program had a firm cutoff. “We put a deadline on it, and the deadline was reached. 75,000 people accepted the offer,” she said.
Leavitt also declined to provide further details on an expected announcement regarding reciprocal tariffs, directing reporters to an upcoming statement from President Trump. “You’ll be hearing from the President of the United States directly on this in about two hours, so I will let him speak on it,” she said. “He’s very excited about this reciprocal tariff announcement. His team has been working on it for quite some time.”
Trump is expected to address the tariff policy in the Oval Office at 1 p.m. Eastern time, followed by the swearing-in of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey…
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in opposing the Trump administration’s federal worker buyout plan, calling it an attempt to pressure employees into resignation.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s ‘buyout’ scam is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate public servants out of their jobs,” Platkin said. “Pushing hard-working federal employees out of the workforce doesn’t only harm the employees themselves, but also the State of New Jersey and our residents who will be deprived of key partners in the federal government and access to critical services.”
The coalition filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit by several federal employee unions challenging the administration’s “Fork in the Road” directive. Issued on January 28, the directive gave most federal employees just over a week—until February 6—to accept a “deferred resignation” option, which allowed them to leave their jobs while retaining pay and benefits until September 30. Unions argue that the directive carried an implicit threat that positions could be eliminated if workers did not opt in.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, claims the directive and its frequently revised guidelines created confusion and uncertainty among federal employees. On February 6, U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. stayed the directive’s deadline until February 10, when a hearing is scheduled in Boston.
The attorneys general argue that the directive could severely disrupt cooperation between federal, state, and local governments, impacting services for veterans, disaster response, and other critical functions. They urged the court to grant a temporary restraining order to halt the buyout plan.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia joined the brief.
