Please come back: Trump administration ‘rehiring’ staffers fired by Elon Musk's DOGE?

Donald Trump and Elon Musk's feud has taken a vivid turn over the matter of a couple of days, and in the interim, there is some ongoing activity by the administration to recall workers who were fired by DOGE. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was being led by Elon Musk since the start of Donald Trump's first term. The department was entrusted with the responsibility of cutting down federal expenses through various means.

Elon Musk's DOGE took the orders by book, and began firing hundreds of federal staffers across multiple departments in order to cut down expenses. However, it now looks like the Trump administration is recalling workers as the mass firing has resulted in “imperiling of key services such as weather forecasting and the drug approval process," according to a report by The Washington Post.

“Notice of Reduction in Force (RIF) issued to you…is officially RESCINDED [and] you will not be separated from employment,” read one email.

It also said, “You are expected to return to duty the next business day following your receipt of this notice.”

The Food and Drug Administration has reversed its decision to cut jobs, cancelling the layoff notice just three weeks after it was issued. Since April, the agency had let go of more than 3,500 employees, but the recent move signals a shift in plans.

One FDA employee told the Washington Post they only agreed to return because they hadn’t found a new job yet.

“Being back feels like a funeral,” the employee said. “Morale is terrible. Everyone is stressed and feels the absence of our colleagues.”

DOGE is now scrambling to rehire staff it had previously let go, as tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump escalate publicly. On Thursday, Trump threatened to cancel Musk’s government contracts. With the situation growing more hostile, there’s growing speculation that Trump might even shut down DOGE as a way to retaliate against his former ally.