A number of eminent government representatives have decided to resign from the Trump administration after thousands of federal workers were dismissed in the context of pressure to rationalize government operations.
Career officials, many of whom served in previous presidential administrations, condemned President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for having apparently put pressure on workers who are not considered faithful to the new administration to leave their jobs . In February, the Trump administration – working in close collaboration with the new department of government efficiency (DOGE), led by agencies ordered by Musk to put an end to most probation and temporary employees.
Here is a list of government representatives who have resigned from the Trump administration to protest.
Director of the FDA food division
Jim Jones, director of the food and drug administration food division resigned on February 17, citing “blind” cuts through the agency which, according to him, would make him “unsuccessful for him to continue”.
“I was looking forward to working to continue the order of the ministry to improve the health of the Americans by reducing chronic diseases linked to the diet and the risks of chemicals in food,” wrote Jones in his resignation letter, according to Bloomberg. He added that the “disdain for people even of the Trump administration had to implement food security reforms gave him no choice but to leave.
Jones joined the agency in September 2023 and recently supervised the prohibition of the Biden administration on the Red Food Dye No. 3 in January, as well as the FDA survey on the compote compoter of the contaminated compote linked to Dozens of leading cases in children. In his letter, he estimated that 89 staff members out of the 2,000 people in his division were dismissed as part of the Trump administration cuts.
Jones also criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (HSS), to “challenge the integrity of food staff, saying that they are corrupt according to the false”.
Interim assigned commissioner
Michelle King, the principal head of the Social Security Administration, has left her role as an acting commissioner after DOGE asked for access to sensitive files containing private information from the Americans, according to the Associated Press. King has refused to hand over information sensitive to the employees of the DOGE and has been replaced as an acting commissioner by Leland Dudek.
King had spent 30 years working in the agency, which oversees retirees and disability benefits received by 73 million people. Trump told journalists at a press conference on February 18 that King had not resigned, but had been rather dismissed: “You know when you dismiss someone, they always resign and then they say:” We have resigned “. But when you have figures like that, I think it’s really [you] I was dismissed. “”
GSA Engineering Place
Steven Reilly, principal engineer at the Branch of the Technology Transformation Services of General Services Administration, resigned on February 18 after Thomas Shedd, an ally Doge now in charge of the branch, asked for access to sensitive data , including personally identifiable information (PII), according to the Washington Job.
“We have not received any justification for this request, which makes it difficult to suggest alternative approaches that would achieve Thomas’ objectives while protecting [personally identifiable information] For public members, ”wrote Reilly in a separation message to colleagues, according to the Washington Job. “We have clearly told Thomas that this level of authorization would allow access to PIIs. Although we have suggested alternatives, such as access to reading alone, Thomas continued to request full admin / root access. »»
Reilly managed the engineering team for Notify.gov, a government system had used mass text messages to the public.
Officials of Minister of Career Justice
Officials of the Ministry of Justice normally remain in office from one administration to another. But dozens of career officials, including the best prosecutors in Washington, DC and New York, have resigned since Trump took office, to protest his calls to shake the department which, according to him, was used against him.
Seven federal prosecutors have so far resigned after the vice-procureur general Emil Bove has ordered them to drop the accusations of criminal corruption against the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, who should be tried in April for violations of corruption and campaign financing. Adams, a democrat who pleaded not guilty and denied reprehensible acts, bonds with Trump and his border tsar, Tom Homan, in particular immigration.
Officials who resigned included Danielle Sassoon, American lawyer for the South New York district; Hagan Scotten, assistant American prosecutor of the South New York district; John Keller, actor in the public integrity section of the Ministry of Justice; and Kevin Driscoll, head of action of the criminal division of the Ministry of Justice.
Elsewhere at the Ministry of Justice, Bradley Weinsheimer, a senior ethics official who was appointed associate general assistant during the Trump’s first mandate, accepted the government’s deferred resignation offer after the administration tried to Reallowing a new working group on sanctuary cities, according to Reuters. Weinsheimer had been with the department for 34 years.
Denise Cheung, head of the criminal division of the American prosecutor’s office in Washington, DC, resigned on February 18 after receiving an order from the Ministry of Justice from Trump to open an investigation into the Grand Jury on the Climatic Funds of the era of Biden, which she considered premature premature premature and not taken care of by evidence.
“When I explained that the quantum of evidence did not support this action, you said you believe that there was enough evidence,” said Cheung in his resignation letter, according to Politico. “I still don’t think there is sufficient evidence to issue the letter you have described.” Cheung, who has worked in the American prosecutor’s office since 2000 was committed.
