Trump's change of course: tariffs and layoffs - who is left behind?

Trump's change of course: tariffs and layoffs - who is left behind?

As US President Donald Trump continues his course of downsizing the government apparatus, the European economy is at risk of suffering from tensions between the US and the EU. At least two million federal employees have reportedly been pressured to resign voluntarily to improve government efficiency. This came into particular focus when a federal judge in Massachusetts extended the employees' initial decision-making deadline, temporarily curbing Trump's efforts to restructure the government, such as tagesschau.de reported.

At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concerns about the possible impact on the export-heavy German economy in light of Trump's threats to impose special tariffs on the EU. Scholz emphasized that tariffs do no one any good and that the EU Commission is ready to react quickly. These comments come in the context of increasingly critical statements about Trump's aggressive trade policies and the geopolitical challenge, particularly regarding Trump's considerations about the occupation of Greenland, which is part of the NATO and EU nation Denmark. Scholz sees the need to stand up for smaller partners like Denmark, which underlines a clear stance against US threats, such as vienna.at determines.

Trump and the fear of layoffs

Trump's layoff campaign, which is aimed primarily at long-term employees, is causing great concern. Former FBI and CIA employees reported disturbing attempts at intimidation that led to fear of losing their professional existence. “Nobody has experienced anything like this before,” said Otis Johnson, a representative of the American Civil Servants Association, criticizing the methods of the Trump administration. This strategy of increasing efficiency through layoffs and filling their positions with new employees loyal to Trump is closely linked to the Heritage Foundation's so-called Project 2025, which carefully plans and strategically supports Trump's actions.

The Authority for Government Efficiency, or DOGE for short, headed by Elon Musk, is primarily intended to inject young talent from companies like SpaceX and Tesla into the various ministries in order to streamline what Carter says is an overbloated and inefficient government. However, the methods and legal implications of this strategy remain questionable, leading U.S. policy toward an uncertain future. It is now clear at the latest that Trump is fighting hard to consolidate both his political course and his loyalists in the government apparatus.