Updated February 05, 2025 at 14:32 PM ET
Employees at the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were sent deferred resignation offer letters this week, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
These are the first examples of the national security and intelligence workforce being by the Trump administration. The move is causing panic within the broader national security community that years of experience, talent and secrets could soon be heading out the door from the CIA and ODNI headquarters in McLean, Va., and the NSA's in Fort Meade, Md.
The offer was extended to "any employee" at the agencies, as part of an effort to align the intelligence community with President Trump's agenda, though sources suggested there might be exceptions for especially sensitive or high priority positions.
" is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the administration's national security priorities," said a CIA spokesperson who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity. "These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission."
An ODNI spokesperson who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity confirmed that ODNI staff also received the deferred resignation offer.
And according to an NSA spokesperson who also spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity: "As directed by OPM and DoD, the deferred resignation program is available to eligible NSA employees."
Few details were available about the specific terms of the offer letters.
The CIA and ODNI declined to confirm whether the offer was structured the same way as the one made across federal civilian agencies in which employees would be paid for eight months work after resigning.
That offer was originally sent to with the email mirroring of the social media company X, then Twitter, after it was acquired by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Now, Musk and the government team called DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, have been visiting and reviewing the systems at federal agencies over recent weeks with the blessing of Trump. Their access to sensitive data and servers have already led to widespread protests and .
According to one source familiar with the matter, some government employees were told that included code that would track where the message was sent after being delivered, in order to catch potential leakers.
The news of the offer letters at NSA comes just days after agency staff told its museum, the National Cryptologic Museum, to cover up plaques honoring female and minority alumni with distinguished records of service. Many NSA retirees were furious and went online to criticize the agency which swiftly took the brown paper off the plaques. On Monday, several dozen NSA retirees went to the museum to make sure the exhibits had been restored and voice their outrage. The agency's executive director Sheila Thomas with Trump's executive order on terminating diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government without a lot of guidance or time. She said the intention was never to "cover up parts of our history."
The CIA, NSA and ODNI would not be the only agencies losing employees whose mission includes contributing to global security.
At the United States Agency for International Development, which distributes billions in foreign aid, all direct-hire employees will be put on administrative leave by Friday. While Trump has accused the agency of fraud and abuse of resources, he failed to cite concrete evidence of malfeasance.
Meanwhile, around the world contribute to diplomatic and aid missions that allow for U.S. influence in regions that are vulnerable to adversaries like Russia and China, an argument by Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Copyright 2025 NPR
