To the editor:

President Trump’s actions earlier this week hit really close to home. His actions to trim the federal workforce is nothing short of an all-out assault on 2 million loyal and hardworking Americans. One of the “pillars” of federal service outlined in the email was returning to the office full time; if you don’t agree with that (despite having possibly been hired under those conditions), well, resign. Yet this current war on feds using DEI as a root cause of all that is wrong with federal employees is nothing but a typical dog whistle and red meat to the base (as was freeing 1,500 Jan. 6 criminals even if they viciously assaulted law enforcement – back the blue, some politicians intone).

A recent Wall Street Journal article reported most federal employees are already working at least some of the time in the office. In 2024, the WSJ said, nearly 80% of all federal employees’ working hours were spent in the office, excluding remote staff. The WSJ source? Why, a White House budget-office survey. The narrative that federal employees are slacking off, whether in the office or remotely, is a false one that is malicious to all current and former federal employees, people who live next to you in your community. Their kids go to the local school, they worship at a local church, and they are no less a part of your neighborhood than you are. I know because for over 30 years I was one.

David Teska,

Lawrence