Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative aimed at reducing the federal workforce has backfired after officials accidentally fired employees overseeing the US nuclear stockpile.

Trump’s executive order to “better serve Americans” led to terminations at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), but it soon emerged some of those dismissed were responsible for managing nuclear weapons. A specialist told NBC she was informed her firing was “rescinded,” though she remained locked out of her work emails.

The White House acknowledged the error, with an internal email urging supervisors to contact dismissed staff using “personal contact emails.” Officials are now scrambling to reinstate the employees.

While Reuters reported over 300 NNSA staff were fired, an Energy Department spokesperson claimed it was “less than 50 people,” mainly in “administrative and clerical roles.” Regardless, one source noted, “DOE didn’t really realize NNSA oversees the nuclear stockpile.”

Concerns grew as an expert warned, “The nuclear deterrent is the backbone of American security… holes poked even in maintenance should be extremely frightening.” Despite the push to shrink government, firing key nuclear staff has highlighted the dangers of workforce cuts in critical sectors.