Trump Calls Out Federal Workers Not Showing Up to the Office, Says It's Time to Drain 'The Swamp'

President Donald Trump has put federal workers on notice, accusing hundreds of thousands of them of failing to show up to work and declaring it’s time to drain "the swamp." Speaking at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night, Trump made his stance crystal clear: his administration is taking aim at what he calls an unaccountable bureaucracy.

"We have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been showing up to work," Trump said. "My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again." He added, "Any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately. Because we are draining the swamp. It's very simple. And the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over."

As part of his efforts to enforce this, the administration rolled out buyouts for nearly two million federal employees, including those working remotely. Employees had until February 6 to decide whether to accept these offers. Under the plan, those accepting would stop working in early March but would continue receiving pay benefits through September 30. By Thursday morning, the White House confirmed that 75,000 employees had taken the deal, though they initially expected 200,000 to opt-in.

In true Trump fashion, the buyout plan stirred up controversy. The American Federation of Government Employees and two other unions have filed a complaint, calling the offer "arbitrary and capricious" and claiming it violates federal law. The unions also argue that the administration hasn’t adequately considered the fallout of mass resignations, such as potential disruptions to government operations. They’ve also raised concerns about whether the funding for the plan can be guaranteed.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t Trump’s first attempt to shake up the federal workforce. Early in his presidency, he issued directives requiring remote employees to return to in-person work. This recent push could be seen as an extension of his long-standing campaign to tighten control over federal operations.

Love him or hate him, Trump’s approach to federal bureaucracy has never been subtle. And in the world of politics, subtlety doesn’t always win points.