Anthony Muro dedicated his life to serving his country. First, as a Marine. Then, as a VA employee helping fellow veterans. But when Trump’s brutal government cuts slashed thousands of jobs, Muro found himself unemployed, blindsided by an administration he once supported.
Sitting at the American Legion hall in Northlake, Illinois, Muro nursed a beer, the TV above him broadcasting news of lawsuits erupting over Trump’s sweeping layoffs. He had plenty to say about it—but not at the bar, not on bingo night.
“I’ll tell people what happened, but I won’t get into a long discussion about it,” he said. “Especially if people have been drinking.”
Last month, Muro became one of 25,000 “probationary” federal employees abruptly fired under Trump’s aggressive cost-cutting initiative. As part of a chaotic plan, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, thousands of federal workers—including nearly 1,700 from the Department of Veterans Affairs—were terminated. Now, a judge has ruled the mass firings illegal, placing employees like Muro on paid administrative leave. But the Trump administration is fighting tooth and nail to ensure they never return to work.
For veterans relying on the VA, the consequences are dire. Muro, once a vital part of the Whole Health program at Hines VA Hospital, helped fellow vets improve their quality of life. Now, he fears Trump’s cuts are dismantling the agency meant to care for those who served.
“It’s almost like he’s trying to tear the VA down,” Muro said.
‘I Never Thought He’d Do This to Veterans’
Muro, a conservative voter, initially hoped for a different Republican nominee. But when it came down to Trump versus Kamala Harris, he chose Trump—largely due to concerns about border security. What he didn’t expect was for Trump’s “deep state” purge to hit the VA so hard, gutting an agency that provides healthcare to nine million veterans.
“Everybody can admit that we need to look at efficiency,” Muro said. “But when you’re dealing with veterans, you have to be more intentional with your actions.”
Muro’s job was simple but impactful. He worked with veterans to set health goals—better sleep, improved diet, stress management—offering them resources beyond just medications and routine checkups. But in February, he received a chilling ultimatum from Musk’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): justify his work or be fired. He submitted a report detailing his week’s efforts. Hours later, his termination notice arrived.
“My supervisor, she was in tears,” Muro recalled. “My whole team was in tears. I was the only person who wasn’t crying.”
Veterans Pay the Price as VA Jobs Vanish
The firings were just the beginning. Leaked documents reveal the administration is considering even deeper cuts, potentially rolling the VA’s staffing back to 2019 levels—when fewer veterans qualified for care. While VA Secretary Doug Collins insists “mission-critical” positions are safe, Muro and his colleagues disagree.
“You walk down the hall and you hear people whisper about it,” he said. “And now you get these people that are scared, that are worried, and they’re thinking about all this other stuff while trying to care for veterans. You can’t tell me that’s not impacting healthcare.”
At the Hines VA Hospital, the effects are already visible. Logan Bland, a 32-year-old former Marine now in a wheelchair, has noticed increasing wait times. “Hearing about any kind of cuts makes me think the care won’t be adequate,” he said while waiting for transportation home.
Meanwhile, other VA workers fear for their jobs. “The VA is already so short-staffed,” said one social worker who spoke anonymously. “Now they want us to do even more with less?”
From VA Worker to Food Stamps
Muro once managed overnight stock at Walmart, a physically demanding job that paid well but took a toll on his health. His move to the VA felt like a calling—a chance to serve veterans like himself. His VA salary was lower than his Walmart earnings, but the work was fulfilling. Now, he’s applying for unemployment and food stamps while searching for a new job.
He’s not the only one struggling. Some of the fired workers have families to support, mortgages to pay. Even as courts push for reinstatements, the Trump administration argues that rehiring these employees would be “too burdensome” due to paperwork and security clearances. Instead, these workers remain on paid leave while the administration fights to keep them out permanently.
For now, Muro is in limbo. He hopes to return to the VA, but if not, he’ll find another way to help veterans. “With morale and everything else, they’re going to need all the help they can get,” he said.
