White House says some employees were fired by mistake

After taking the recent buyout offer, some employees were fired, a source said.

Last Updated: February 16, 2025, 11:07 PM EST

President Donald Trump's administration, including Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, is continuing its sweeping effort to cut much of the federal government -- but it's being met with legal challenges.

Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

And a day after Hamas released more hostages taken when it attacked Israel in October 2023, Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the militant organization needs to be "eliminated."

Feb 12, 2025, 6:51 PM EST

Federal judge's buyout decision marks first major legal win for Trump

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted on Wednesday to a federal judge's decision to let the federal buyouts continue, saying it's "the first of many legal wins for the president."

"The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing. This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities," Leavitt added.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Feb. 12, 2025.
Evan Vucci/AP

U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole Jr.'s decision effectively clears the way for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to begin their efforts to reduce the federal workforce significantly.

Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that appeared to lay the groundwork for the next steps, ordering agency heads to consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal workforce.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Peter Charalambous

Feb 12, 2025, 6:45 PM EST

Number of federal workers who accepted buyout rises to 73K

Over 73,000 federal workers have accepted the Trump administration's buyout offer, an administration official confirmed to ABC News.

The buyouts, which are being offered in the form of a deferred resignation offer, are part of DOGE head Elon Musk's efforts to cut the federal government workforce under President Donald Trump's direction.

An exterior of one of two Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Services on Feb. 12, 2025, in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

The program offers to continue to pay federal employees through Sept. 30, 2025, if they resign.

Feb 12, 2025, 6:32 PM EST

White House blames Biden administration for CPI rising 3%

The White House is reacting to the consumer price index rising 3% from last year as well as food prices increasing -- saying it is "unexpected" and "bad news."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed the Biden administration for not being transparent on the economy and indicated the president has called for lower interest rates. On the other hand, the Federal Reserve has made clear that it is holding interest rates steady to try and tamp down inflation.

A man checking a receipt in a supermarket.
Adobe

"This is an indictment of the Biden administration's mismanagement of the inflation crisis and their lack of transparency in addressing it," Leavitt said during the Wednesday press briefing.

Leavitt said President Donald Trump has made his potion on tackling inflation and interest rates "very clear."

"He wants interest rates to be lower. He wants inflation to be lower. And he believes that the whole government economic approach that this administration is taking will result in lower inflation," Leavitt said.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Feb 12, 2025, 6:24 PM EST

Trump says he'll outline federal government's 'widespread fraud and abuse'

During his spray in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he will outline evidence during a press conference on Thursday of "widespread fraud and abuse" that the Department of Government Efficiency is focused on eliminating.

President Donald Trump speaks after Tulsi Gabbard was sworn in as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 12, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

"What we're going to do is tomorrow, I'm having a news conference. I'm going to read to you some of the names that hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars have been given to," Trump said.

Trump applauded Elon Musk for his efforts and thanked the DOGE team. "I just want to thank Elon for going through it. I want to thank all the people that are working with them," he said.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

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