Undergirding a fight formed in group texts and between cubicles is a conviction that nonpartisan civil servants provide a necessary check on Trump’s power.

But Poole, an Air Force veteran who now works as a civilian trainer, says he's lost all trust in the government as President Donald Trump pushes a now-or-never buyout on federal workers and Democrats seem powerless to stop him.

A judge in Massachusetts paused a deadline to decide on whether to take the buyout, leaving some workers unsure of where their acceptance of the deal leaves them.

Plus: President Trump signs an executive order targeting 'anti-Christian bias.' | The U.S. Treasury temporarily agrees to limit DOGE access.