Summary
A federal judge warned the Trump administration for defying a court order by placing reinstated probationary (new) workers on paid administrative leave instead of returning them to their jobs.
Judge William Alsup ruled that the administration’s mass firings of nearly 25,000 workers were illegal and ordered their reinstatement.
The White House argued that full reinstatement would create “significant confusion.” The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions sued, claiming the firings bypassed congressional authority.
Alsup gave the administration until Tuesday to explain its actions.
Setting aside the question of legality, I think that it’s pretty difficult for Trump to make his case on political grounds. Trump’s provided political justification is that he’s trying to save money. I think that it’s pretty difficult to argue that paying workers to do nothing is more cost-effective than paying them to do their job.
We know at this point that the real motivation for these firings is not to save money. It’s to reduce friction as he becomes a dictator. The more gears the government has turning, the more spots there are that can jam up the system in protest. That’s my theory, anyway. I’m sure there are additional reasons.