DEFT BUYOUT: Americans Back Trump’s Plan to Defang the Deep State

While government unions have been up in arms about President Donald Trump’s offramp for federal bureaucrats who may not want to serve in his administration or return to the office in person, a new poll shows that Americans generally support his move.

When asked whether they favor the Trump administration’s order that all federal employees return to the office, 62% of respondents say they favor it (35% strongly, 27% somewhat), while only 29% say they oppose it (17% somewhat, 12% strongly). The remaining 10% said they were not sure.

The survey, conducted by RMG Research on behalf of the Napolitan Institute, asked 1,000 registered voters about the issues online between Jan. 29 and Jan. 30. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

The Office of Personnel Management memo allows federal employees to accept “deferred resignation.” As long as they resign by Feb. 6, bureaucrats can remain on administrative leave with pay and benefits through Sept. 30, the last day of the 2025 fiscal year.

This plan may represent a positive opening bid for bureaucrats who might otherwise seek to oppose Trump’s agenda from within the administrative state. A recent poll found that 64% of Washington, D.C.-based federal employees who voted for Kamala Harris in November say they will refuse a lawful Trump order if they consider it bad policy.

RMG Research also asked respondents about Trump’s offer.

“The administration has offered a buyout to any federal government employee who chooses not to return to the office. If they resign, they will receive eight months of severance pay and benefits,” the firm noted. “Do you favor or oppose this proposal?”

Nearly half of respondents (49%) said they strongly favor (17%) or somewhat favor (32%) the offer, while 38% said they either somewhat (21%) or strongly (17%) oppose it.

The White House claims that the deferred resignation offer will save Americans money in the long run. According to Axios, the administration projects the buyouts could ultimately save up to $100 billion per year—because the administration won’t be filling all the jobs of employees who resign.

The Office of Personnel Management memo phrases the changes as a “fork in the road.” It lays out four pillars of the new administration’s policy regarding federal government employment: a mandatory return to in-person work in the office; a performance culture focused on “excellence at every level”; a “more streamlined and flexible workforce” as federal agencies are restructured or closed; and “enhanced standards of conduct.” Given these changes, federal bureaucrats should expect that working in the new administration will not resemble the previous administration.

“The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration’s plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards,” an official told Axios. “We’re five years past COVID and just 6% of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable.”

The White House projects that 5% to 10% of federal employees will accept the offer.

While Trump may seek to incentivize resignation for bureaucrats who oppose his agenda, critics frame the move as an attack on the civil service.

The American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents federal workers, has urged bureaucrats to reject the offer, warning that it represents “the latest effort to dismantle the civil service and replace the skilled, professional workforce with unqualified political appointees and for-profit contractors.” AFGE claims the move may not be legal and warns bureaucrats who resign may not get paid.

Yet many Americans who oppose the order say they oppose it due to concerns that Trump is being too nice to government employees.

When RMG Research asked respondents why they opposed the offer, about a third of them (34% of the group and 13% of the overall sample) said they opposed it “because it is too generous to federal government employees.” Another third (37% of the group and 14% of the overall sample) said they opposed it “because it is unfair to federal government employees.” About another third gave some other reason (26% of the group and 10% of the overall sample).

RMG Research asked respondents what should happen if between 5% and 10% of federal employees resign.

About half (46%) said “the federal government should get by with fewer employees,” while about a third (35%) said the bureaucrats “should be replaced.” The remaining 18% said they were not sure.

When pollsters told respondents that the administration estimates the buyout plan will reduce federal spending by about $100 billion each year, support for the buyout increased.

After hearing that projection, 60% of respondents said they strongly favor (31%) or somewhat favor (29%) the idea, while only 29% said they somewhat oppose (15%) or strongly oppose it (14%).

RMG Research also asked respondents whether government employees or private sector workers work harder, and the results weren’t close.

Only 8% of respondents said government employees work harder, while 45% said private sector workers work harder. Another 40% said both work equally hard, while 7% said they were not sure.

This poll suggests Americans broadly support Trump’s buyout plan, but they have concerns about its cost and about whether it is too generous to bureaucrats.

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