GAO report finds Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers under DOGE plan
A Government Accountability Office report found the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers in 2025, a 435% increase from 2023, driven largely by the DOGE deferred resignation program. GAO estimated $6.7 billion went to the deferred resignation program, which about 140,000 employees joined. OPM disputed the framing, arguing the one-time expense yields $40 billion in annual savings.
23
Divergence score
9 outlets covered it, splitting into 9 framing camps across 3 bias groups.
9 camps
3 bias groups
The spectrum · how 9 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
CNN
Washington Examiner
Politico
The Hill
NBC News
Newsmax
CBS News
HuffPost
Defense One
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
CNN
Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan - CNN
cost as waste, taxpayer money burned · negative
Washington Examiner
DOGE's 'Fork in the road' buyouts cost government nearly $7 billion: Watchdog
buyout cost with savings defense and rehiring chaos · neutral
First to report
- Defense Onefirst
- Politico+11.5 h
- CNN+14.9 h
- HuffPost+15.7 h
- The Hill+16.0 h
- NBC News+16.0 h
- Washington Examiner+18.2 h
- Newsmax+18.5 h
- CBS News+21.9 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
Headlines that changed · the same article, re-listed with a new headline
CNN · 2026-09-16 17:35 UTC
Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan - CNN
CNN · 2026-09-16 18:14 UTC
Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan - cnn.com
Newsmax · 2026-09-17 09:45 UTC
Trump's Workforce Buyouts Cost Feds $6.7 Billion - Newsmax
Newsmax · 2026-09-17 10:20 UTC
Trump's Workforce Buyouts Cost Feds $6.7 Billion - newsmax.com
Newsmax · 2026-09-17 22:35 UTC
Trump's Workforce Buyouts Cost Feds $6.7 Billion - Newsmax
Newsmax · 2026-09-17 23:14 UTC
Trump's Workforce Buyouts Cost Feds $6.7 Billion - newsmax.com
The split, in one line
GAO confirms $10 billion in paid leave spending and 435% surge under Trump's deferred resignation program; critics decry wasteful incentivization contradicting efficiency claims, while defenders stress voluntary opt-in and transparent accounting over projected workforce reduction.
How each outlet covered it
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
THE LEFT
“Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan - CNN”CNN CNN LEFT
23LOW DIVERGENCE
THE RIGHT
“DOGE's 'Fork in the road' buyouts cost government nearly $7 billion: Watchdog”WE Washington Examiner RIGHT
DOWN THE MIDDLE
“Federal employees were paid nearly $7B not to work under DOGE effort: GAO” · Politico, The Hill, Defense One
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 9 outlets put it
LEFT2
CNNCNN Trump administration paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan - CNN 45d ago HPHuffPost Trump Admin Paid Federal Workers Nearly $10 Billion Not To Work In 2025 45d ago LEFT-CENTER2
NBCNBC News Trump administration spent $9.5B last year on employee leave, driven by DOGE-era cuts 45d ago CBSCBS News Feds paid $9.5 billion in leave costs in 2025 due to DOGE buyout 44d ago 10 tracked claims across 9 outlets
Fact ledger
All10Claimed2Corroborated8
1/9
Claimed
The Trump administration rehired at least 25,000 fired federal workers after terminations were ruled illegal
Corroborated
Disputed
9 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger