The White House is vowing to "fight back" after a federal judge on Thursday ordered six federal agencies to rehire thousands of probationary workers that were laid off as part of President Donald Trump's push to slash the size and scope of government.
Judge William Alsup said the justification of "poor performance" for mass layoffs last month was "a sham in order to try to avoid statutory requirements," The New York Times reported.
Ruling on a lawsuit brought by employee unions, Alsup ordered the departments of the Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy and Interior to reinstate anyone on probation who was improperly fired.
"It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that's a lie," said Alsup at a hearing at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
Since returning to the Oval Office in January, Trump has taken an ax to the federal government, cutting spending programs and firing tens of thousands of the more than 2 million employees on the federal payroll.
Thursday's ruling prompted immediate condemnation from the White House, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vowing the administration would "fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order."
"The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch — singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the President's agenda," she said.
"If a federal district court judge would like executive powers, they can try and run for President themselves."
The statement mirrors previous reactions to legal rulings going against the administration, which have seen the White House characterize the courts as obstacles to unbridled presidential power.
- 'Reduction in force' -
The judgment comes after the same court last month ordered the federal government to rescind directives that resulted in thousands of staff being let go.
On Thursday, Alsup said the government was within its rights to reduce staffing, but that it had to be done properly and with justification — he cited "reduction in force" orders issued by several agencies as legal routes.
"If it's done right, there can be a reduction in force within an agency, that has to be true," he said.
"Congress itself has said you can have an agency do a reduction in force, if it's done correctly under the law."
At issue is whether the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — the government's human resources body — ordered the reduction. Attorneys from the Justice Department, representing the Trump administration, had insisted that OPM never issued any orders, only guidance, The Washington Post reported.
But, the paper said, court records showed officials from agencies including the IRS, the Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs, had disputed this, claiming the order to cut probationary workers came directly from the OPM.
Trump — supported by DOGE head Elon Musk — has set about fundamentally reshaping the U.S. government in a way that he says will make it leaner and more efficient.
That effort found its latest expression this week when the Education Department moved to halve its staffing levels.