CIA starts to fire new officers amid Trump’s government cuts
John Ratcliffe, CIA Director (Photo: Getty Images)
The CIA has been affected by the personnel cuts implemented by the Trump administration, The New York Times reports.
The Trump administration continues cutting the federal workforce, and the latest round of dismissals has hit the Central Intelligence Agency. According to sources, officers recruited in the last two years have been called to off-site meetings, where they were handed termination notices.
“Agents are now afraid to even answer their phones, fearing a call summoning them to a dismissal meeting,” one informed source said. Morale has plummeted, productivity is down, and the agency is in turmoil.
A CIA spokesperson confirmed that the agency is reviewing employees hired in the past two years. They emphasized that intelligence work is highly demanding and “not for everyone.” The cuts follow a series of high-profile dismissals in the US government, including the recent removal of a US Army commander, who was replaced with an official aligned with Trump’s strategy.
The official seal of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States
Court ruling enables terminations without appeal
The situation escalated after Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that CIA Director John Ratcliffe has the authority to fire employees at will, without providing a reason or allowing them to appeal. The lawsuit was originally filed by officers involved in diversity and recruitment efforts under the Biden administration.
Although the judge strongly recommended allowing terminated employees to appeal, the agency has pressed forward with the cuts. Former officials warn that these layoffs could weaken US intelligence operations. “Millions of dollars have been invested in training these probationary officers, and now that investment could be wasted,” said attorney Kevin Carroll.
In December, the CIA sent a list of employees with less than two years of experience to the Office of Personnel Management. The decision to transmit this information via an unclassified system raised concerns among former officials, who warned it could pose a counterintelligence risk. A similar reduction effort was seen earlier when the Trump administration fired officials responsible for intelligence gathering, further reshaping the national security landscape.
