Mass Layoffs in U.S. Government Raise Espionage Concerns

Concerns over national security are rising as President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk push mass layoffs in federal agencies. Experts warn that removing thousands of government employees could make them targets for foreign intelligence operations, particularly from Russia and China.

Typically, about 100,000 federal workers leave their jobs annually, but this year’s departures have surged within just three months. Many of these employees had access to sensitive intelligence, military secrets, and citizens’ personal data.

Former counterintelligence official John Schindler told AP, “This information is highly valuable, and it shouldn’t be surprising that Russia, China, and even criminal syndicates would aggressively recruit these former employees.” Security analysts caution that such abrupt downsizing may unintentionally expose classified information to hostile actors.