Trump’s potential return sparks fear among federal employees

Environmental and energy agency workers are anxious over the possibility of a Trump presidency, fearing job loss and program cuts as they rush to finalize Biden’s priorities.

Robin Bravender reports for E&E News.


In short:

  • Many federal employees, especially in environmental agencies like the EPA, fear being targeted or fired if Trump returns to office.
  • Workers are finalizing Biden’s environmental policies while bracing for potential program cuts and job losses under a new Trump administration.
  • Some employees are taking financial precautions, delaying large purchases and reading conservative plans like Project 2025 to prepare for changes.

Key quote:

“We have stopped doing any money-spending things because what if we’re without jobs in the next year? We need all the savings we can get.”

— Anonymous Interior employee

Why this matters:

A second Trump administration could dismantle environmental protections and reshape the federal workforce, risking the progress made on climate action and clean energy. Many civil servants feel uncertain about their future and the fate of ongoing environmental initiatives.

Read more:

About the author(s):

EHN Curators
EHN Curators
Articles curated and summarized by the Environmental Health News' curation team. Some AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight, fact checking and editing.

You Might Also Like

Recent

Top environmental health news from around the world.

Environmental Health News

Your support of EHN, a newsroom powered by Environmental Health Sciences, drives science into public discussions. When you support our work, you support impactful journalism. It all improves the health of our communities. Thank you!

donate