D.C. dating is disrupted by DOGE cuts

• D.C. residents overwhelmingly vote Democratic, and Trump staffers and right-wing supporters have found it difficult to find a date among the city's more liberal permanent dwellers since the first administration.

But lately: "It's just so polarizing," says DMV-based matchmaker Susan Trombetti. "It always has been, but it's on steroids now."

• Liberal, single Washingtonians are feeling increasingly averse to dating Trump supporters because the president's hits to the federal workforce and the city of D.C. feel so personal, say matchmakers.
• And there's a new description appearing on dating app bios, D.C. singles tell Axios: "Laid off by DOGE.'"

What they're saying: "Things feel chaotic in their professional lives, and I think it's kind of rolling over into their personal lives as well," says Kat Markiewicz, a D.C.-based matchmaker at Three Day Rule Matchmaking. Half of Markiewicz's clients are people with government-connected jobs.

• Many tell her they'd never date someone from across the political aisle before she can even ask.

And it's not just a vote for Trump that's a dealbreaker for these left-leaning D.C. singles. "Four years ago, five years ago, I was hearing, 'Oh, I couldn't date a Trump supporter,'" says Markiewicz. "Now it's like, 'I cannot date someone if they drive a Tesla.'"

By the numbers: Before last summer, 45% of OkCupid users in D.C. said they wanted to match with a member of their political party, OkCupid tells Axios.

• That number jumped to 51% after Trump was elected in November, and spiked to 58% after Inauguration Day.

Zoom in: Some dating app users are sharing in their profiles that they were laid off by DOGE and are now unemployed — and are therefore looking to go on no-cost or inexpensive dates, say D.C. singles.

• Shaw resident Samantha White tells Axios that she had a former federal worker cancel a date because they said they needed to save money.
• There's been an "ominous" air on some of her recent dates, says White. "Sometimes you spend 10 minutes joking about, like, 'Oh, I don't know if I'll have a job tomorrow.'"

What we're hearing: In classic Washington fashion, some now-unemployed singles are even using dating apps as a networking tool. Shaw resident Peter Durkin says he's seen fellow app-users state in their bios that if a romantic connection doesn't pan out, they'd at least like to land potential job connections.

Between the lines: More of Markiewicz's DMV clients are open to being connected with matches in other cities, she says, because they're not certain how long they'll be in D.C. due to the job climate.

• And some matchmaking clients backed out of signing contracts at the last minute because they said they needed to budget for fear of losing their jobs, the matchmakers tell Axios.

The intrigue: Despite the tension, more Washingtonians are openly expressing their conservative views on dating apps, users tell Axios — a departure from Trump's first term, when some conservatives listed their political affiliation as "moderate" in their bios.

• White tells Axios she's seen several photos on dating app profiles of people posing with Trump or in his Oval Office.
• "It's interesting how the new administration has allowed people to feel more open about what they believe in this city," she says.