Fired Up—Can the President Slash the Federal Workforce?

In this episode of Unwritten Law, NCLA’s Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione dive into a dramatic legal battle over the president's power to reduce the federal workforce. A federal district judge recently blocked President Trump’s sweeping Reduction in Force (RIF), claiming it undermines Congress’s intent for certain agencies to function properly. Solicitor General John Sauer has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn this ruling. Mark and John explore the constitutional tensions, justiciability questions, and historical precedents involved, highlighting how this case could reshape executive authority, civil service protections, and separation-of-powers dynamics.