New report suggests DOGE significantly reduced number of government lawyers A report indicates that over 10,000 lawyers have left federal government positions since the beginning of 2025, a period coinciding with Donald Trump’s presidency. The Trump administration viewed this exodus positively, with Trump asserting that those leaving were “Radical Left Deep State Lunatics” who were detrimental to the country. These departures are attributed to a combination of staffing reductions, resignations over policy objections, and typical turnover, leading to significant decreases in legal staff at departments like Education, while Homeland Security saw an increase.

• Over 10,000 federal lawyers have left their positions since January 2025.
• The departures are linked to the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
• Donald Trump described departing lawyers as ‘Radical Left Deep State Lunatics’ and attributed their exit to them ‘destroying our Country.’
• The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initiated by Trump and co-led by Elon Musk, aimed to modernize federal technology and reduce bureaucracy.
• Staffing reductions, policy objections, and typical turnover contributed to the large volume of departures.
• The Department of Education has lost over half its lawyers, while the Department of Homeland Security gained lawyers.
• Many former government lawyers now work for Democratic state attorneys general and non-profit organizations opposed to the administration.