The US government under Donald Trump is urging millions of federal employees to make a drastic decision: Those who voluntarily resign will continue to receive their salary until the end of September. Those who stay still risk their jobs. This is according to a statement from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out on Tuesday to around 2.3 million employees. According to government information, areas such as the military, the postal service, immigration, and national security are exempt from the regulation.

The email with the subject "Fork in the Road" (German: "Weggabelung") reminds of Elon Musk's measures at Twitter in 2022. At that time, employees had to quickly decide whether they wanted to support his new vision for the platform or accept severance.

Musk, a close confidant of Trump, was recently tasked with leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency is to develop proposals to reduce government spending and is expected to accompany massive job cuts.

Since his return to the White House, Trump has been pursuing a comprehensive realignment of the federal administration. By decree, he ordered, among other things, that all civil servants must return to the office immediately – remote work regulations have been lifted. He also temporarily suspended diversity officers in agencies and plans to abolish these positions permanently.

The approach shows a clear direction: Trump wants to drastically streamline the state apparatus and fill it with loyal supporters. Those who do not actively pledge allegiance to government policies find themselves increasingly under pressure.