On Politics

Wed Mar 19 2025

Rebecca Morin | Newsletter Writer

@RebeccaMorin_

Hello! It's Rebecca Morin. What is the biggest story you're following this week? Email me your responses!

Why people love to hate federal workers

Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired or thrust into limbo as President Donald Trump , and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, take on government bloat. And some Americans (including some On Politics readers) are cheering on those cuts. Gerald Krygier, a secondary teacher from Fort Collins, Colorado, told USA TODAY that he's confident Musk will root out wasteful spending and make the government more efficient. Krygier, who was laid off three times when he worked in high-tech, said he doesn't have a lot of sympathy for the workers. Most jobs don't offer many protections, he said. How Musk and Trump are stoking resentment toward the federal government.

Trump's job cuts will have a big impact on the Washington, D.C. area. But it's not the only city where folks will lose jobs and income. For example, some cities, such as Chicago and Tampa, with Veterans Affairs services could experience significant economic losses. See which cities could suffer from Trump's federal job layoffs.

•	A federal judge says USAID shutdown effort 'likely' unconstitutional
•	Trump fires both Democratic commissioners at FTC

USAID workers depart after removing their belongings from the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 27, 2025.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A politics pit-stop

•	Any bombshells in the JFK files release? What we've learned.
•	Tim Walz says Democrats must "push as far as we can" against Trump
•	Mexico hands over alleged MS-13 leader on FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list
•	Federal judge pauses Trump's ban on transgender troops
•	Two convicted in deadliest migrant smuggling operation in US history

The Starliner astronauts are back on Earth. And Trump wants the credit.

For more than nine months, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were "stranded" at the International Space Station. The two astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday evening by way of the SpaceX Dragon. President Donald Trump and his White House have repeatedly taken credit for bringing the astronauts home. But the plan to get the astronauts back to Earth had been established months before Trump was elected. Why Trump is taking credit for the return mission.

You asked, On Politics answers: What about third parties?

As the Republican and Democratic parties have changed over the years, one reader, Galen Monroe of Katy, Texas asks: Why can't there be other organized political parties here in the U.S.?

There's general support from the majority of Americans to have a robust third party. A Gallup poll published in October 2024 found that 58% of U.S. adults agree that a third major party is needed in the United States because the GOP and Democrats "do such a poor job" representing the American people. There have been other party options like the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. However, both have struggled to break through the two-party system that has essentially dominated the political sphere since the inception of the United States of America. One thing the Gallup poll underscored was that it's unclear why Americans want a third party: Do they really want another option or is it out of frustration of the two parties? Tell me, what would you want to see from another political party?

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.