Pentagon firings temporarily paused, pending greater review

The Department of Defense’s anticipated wave of civilian terminations has been temporarily discontinued, according to reporting by CNN. Reports that the Pentagon planned to fire tens of thousands of employees emerged this week after President Donald Trump ordered departmental efficiency and waste audits.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a Thursday video confirming that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was working with defense officials to find budgetary waste. Trimming waste and redundancy from the budget is a good thing that saves taxpayer dollars, he said.

What triggered the sudden pause? Defense leaders wanted more time to confer with federal attorneys and examine how the terminations could affect military readiness, officials told CNN. Before the pause, analysts noted that U.S. law stipulated the defense secretary may not cut full-time civilian employees without first analyzing the wider effects and risks of the terminations. The law insisted that mitigating risk to military readiness trumped financial considerations.

However, the pause may not apply to the dismissal of military personnel who technically serve directly under Trump. A group of U.S. Congress members with military backgrounds penned a joint letter obtained by Politico on Friday requesting greater detail from the department about its process and justification for firing senior officers. General and flag officers dedicated their entire lives to defending the United States and have served honorably, according to the letter. The group, which consisted of five Democrats and one Republican, requested that the criteria and process for dismissals be clear, including what factors may trigger termination and who makes the termination recommendations. An apolitical military is essential to national security, the letter explained.

Did deeper: Read my report on Trump’s latest executive order regulating bureaucratic reform.