OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump announced on Saturday a historic initiative aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce, claiming that “nobody’s ever seen anything” like his administration’s extensive efforts. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) just outside Washington, Trump proudly declared his dominance in Washington and his success in sending bureaucrats “packing.”
Addressing an enthusiastic audience, Trump promised to “forge a new and lasting political majority” that would influence American politics for generations. He argued that voters had given him a mandate to overhaul the government, enforce stricter U.S.-Mexico border controls, and extend tax cuts, which had been a hallmark of his first administration.
Effortlessly transitioning into campaign mode during his lengthy speech, Trump confidently predicted Republican victories, challenging historical trends of midterm election struggles for the president’s party. “Nobody’s ever seen anything like this,” Trump remarked, likening his administration’s progress to the early success of a golfer on a roll.
Trump has enlisted the help of Elon Musk to facilitate the federal firings. Musk announced via his platform, X, that federal employees would soon receive an email asking for a summary of their weekly accomplishments, warning that failure to respond could be seen as resignation. Shortly after, an “HR” email was sent to employees across various agencies, demanding a report of achievements by Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
While Trump promised tougher immigration policies, these were overshadowed by the sweeping federal layoffs. He announced that Customs and Border Protection officials would take over the significantly reduced U.S. Agency for International Development’s Washington office, noting the removal of the agency’s name from its building.
Trump reiterated his intentions to examine Fort Knox’s gold reserves, inviting his audience to “see if the gold is still there.” He also revisited last year’s presidential race, criticizing former President Joe Biden and mispronouncing former Vice President Kamala Harris’s name, much to the crowd’s amusement.
During the conference, Trump met with Polish President Andrzej Duda amid tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump praised Duda as a “fantastic man” and acknowledged Argentine President Javier Milei as a fellow supporter of his “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Trump’s administration has diverged from recent U.S. policy by engaging in direct talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, excluding Ukrainian and European representatives, causing concern among U.S. allies. Trump expressed confidence in reaching a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, stating, “I think we’re pretty close to a deal.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt conveyed Trump’s optimism about concluding negotiations soon, although such a timeline seems ambitious. Later, the president and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a bipartisan dinner for governors attending the National Governors Association meeting in Washington.
Leavitt, alongside two other administration officials, is facing a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP accuses the officials of retaliating against the agency for editorial choices they disagree with, while the White House insists the AP failed to comply with an executive order regarding the Gulf of Mexico’s designation.
