When it comes to handing people their walking papers, President Donald Trump is not shy. Ever since his first day in office during his first term, he's never hesitated to send people packing who no longer serve his needs.

According to Fox News, as part of a wider restructuring plan, some 600 employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been laid off after a court cleared the path for the administration to continue with its plan. 

The move came as part of a larger Department of Health and Human Services restructuring that was announced in March.

In March, HHS announced that it had planned to cut the CDC staff by a staggering 2,400 individuals.

What's going on?

Fox News reported that a spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees confirmed that 600 CDC employees were set to receive their termination notices this week.

🚨WHOA! The CDC purge has officially begun.

600 people just got FIRED. pic.twitter.com/xXXs6Ou3se

— Jack (@jackunheard) August 21, 2025

The same spokesperson confirmed the cuts "are across the agency, including the Division of Violence Prevention, EEO, FOIA, the Office of Financial Resources, the offices of the chief information and chief operating officers, and more."

Fox News noted:

The CDC confirmed the roughly 600 recent layoffs, pointing to the March announcement that also said the restructuring would involve the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) – responsible for national disaster and public health emergency response – transitioning to the CDC to enhance coordination of response efforts.

The CDC's restructuring was spearheaded by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pledged to "Make America Healthy Again" by making such moves.

"We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic," Kennedy said in an earlier statement. "This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer."

Social media reacts

Users across social media reacted to the news of the mass firings.

"Happy to hear! Im guessing a complete revamp of CDC is happening? This is so badly needed. I am so proud of RFKJr!" one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "So, good news. This is the kind of headcount reduction that should happen every few years. Deadwood piles up, and needs thinning. Govt employment should not be guaranteed lifetime employment."

Hopefully, this is just the beginning.