Reports indicate that a substantial financial offer has been made to CIA personnel to encourage their resignation following President Trump’s return to the White House.
Having recently assumed the role of the 47th President, Donald Trump has been quick to implement his policies through the signing of various executive orders. These include reversing the ban on TikTok, altering immigration laws, and declaring the existence of ‘only two genders’.
Additionally, there are concerns about a potential trade war and the establishment of the first US wealth fund.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the CIA has extended lucrative buyout offers to its employees, a move previously available to numerous federal workers.
The proposed buyouts offer CIA staff eight months of salary along with additional benefits, should they opt to resign now.
The WSJ suggests that these buyouts aim to align the CIA more closely with President Trump’s strategic priorities.
“The CIA appeared to be the first intelligence agency to tell its employees that they can quit their jobs and receive about eight months of pay and benefits as part of Trump’s push to downsize the federal government,” the report highlights.
Employees must decide by 11:59pm on Thursday, February 6 whether to accept the offer, as the Office of Personnel Management has stated that the deadline is firm.
This deadline applies to government employees, but it remains uncertain if the same timeline is applicable to CIA personnel.
A CIA representative conveyed to the New York Post: “Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities.
“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.”
On Tuesday, February 4, Trump outlined his plans to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip and relocate all Palestinians.
During a White House press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump stated: “The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative, it’s right now a demolition site. This is just a demolition site. Virtually every building is down.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”