I work with federal agencies. I have many colleagues and friends who are in federal agencies. There are MANY good people working for the federal gov. In fact, I'd venture a guess that an overwhelming majority of them are.
Randomly firing 200K fed employees just because they were the most recent to be hired is not a good idea. There is so much wreckage with this approach.
Why not give an EO that states that each manager needs to eliminate 5% of their staff? And give them a thirty day deadline and if they don't do it then axe them. Or some formula like that.
I just see the benefit of slash and burn tactics. There are so many other ways to approach reduction in force. And to assume that all fed gov employees are part of the problem is just an embarrassing assumption. Trump is the President, so I lay this approach on him.
Fortunately or unfortunately, your and their feelings no longer matter. If you have ever run a successful business (I have, many times) as soon as you start worrying about people’s feelings, you’re done. While it is always nice to employ happy people, they are only happy if you stay in business and none of them would quit of their own volition to help the company. It’s lonely at the top and if you can’t make the tough decisions you’re in the wrong place.