CIA Fires Recent Hires as Trump Reshapes Federal Workforce

The agency begins dismissing probationary employees under directives to reduce government staffing, raising concerns about national security and foreign recruitment risks.

The CIA has started terminating probationary employees hired within the last two years, citing performance issues and suitability for high-pressure roles.
The layoffs follow a federal judge's ruling granting CIA Director John Ratcliffe broad authority to fire employees at will, including those involved in diversity initiatives.
The firings are part of a broader Trump administration effort to downsize the federal workforce, led by the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk's advisory role.
Concerns have been raised about the potential impact on national security, as intelligence collection and analysis capabilities may be weakened by the loss of trained officers.
Foreign adversaries like China and Russia are reportedly targeting recently terminated U.S. intelligence personnel for recruitment, heightening security risks.