Trump federal firings could hit Arizona veterans hard
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Military veterans are likely to feel an outsized impact of President Trump's efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
Why it matters: Veterans make up 6% of the U.S. adult population but account for nearly 30% of all civilian federal employees.
State of play: At least 105,000 federal employees have been fired since Trump took office as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's effort to cut federal spending, according to a CNN analysis.
- Almost all firings are being challenged in court, and thousands have already been reversed.
By the numbers: More than 600,000 veterans hold federal jobs nationwide, representing about 28% of the U.S. government workforce.
- Unsurprisingly, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employs the most ex-military members (122,000), but every federal agency has an outsized number of veteran workers compared with their representation in the general workforce, according to an Axios analysis of federal data.
Zoom in: About 18,000 veterans in Arizona work for the federal government, per an Economic Policy Institute analysis.
What they're saying: "President Trump has consistently stood up for our brave men and women in uniform — delivering crucial reforms that improved VA healthcare, decreased veteran homelessness, and enhanced education benefits," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Axios last month when asked about DOGE's impact on veterans.
- The White House has not publicly said how many veterans were among the fired employees.
Between the lines: Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told Axios there's a natural inclination for veterans to continue their call to serve via federal employment.
- Valley resident Kyle Rahn told us last month he struggled to find his path after he was medically retired from the U.S. Army about 10 years ago.
- He said he ultimately found a sense of purpose by working in security for the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was fired last month.
- "Private companies pay more [than the government], but I come from a family of service. … I believe that if you're able to serve you should," said Rahn, who attended Trump's address before Congress last month as U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego's (D-Ariz.) guest.
The fine print: The federal government has a "veterans preference" hiring policy, which gives most retired military members a leg up when competing against similarly qualified applicants. Research has shown it's almost certainly led to more veterans getting hired by federal agencies.
- The practice has been in place in some form since the Civil War, and the current system was adopted after World War II.
The intrigue: Preferential treatment in the workforce is also under attack by the Trump administration, though the focus so far has been on advantages given to employees based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
What we're watching: The Trump administration has not yet come after the veterans preference, but Stier said he was concerned it could get wrapped up in the administration's DEI eradication.
- Unlike most DEI policies, the veterans preference is outlined in federal law, "but [the administration] has violated the law" with other firing decisions it's made so far, Stier said.