U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at simplifying the process of dismissing senior federal officials. The order, issued on Wednesday as part of a broader civil service reform, could affect around 8,000 of the highest-paid government employees, each earning up to $200,000 annually. The directive, jointly released by the White House and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), removes job protections for officials deemed to have significant influence over policy decisions.

Scott Cooper, director of the OPM, stated that only those willing and able to implement the administration’s policy priorities should remain in their roles. He added that agencies would now have the authority to dismiss employees who refuse to carry out lawful directives due to personal political beliefs.

The order follows a year after billionaire Elon Musk stepped down from overseeing government spending and workforce reduction efforts. It underscores Trump’s continued determination to control and, if necessary, remove career officials he believes obstruct his political agenda. Although earlier estimates suggested up to 50,000 officials might be affected, the current order covers far fewer. Federal labor unions had already filed lawsuits in January to block the policy before its finalization.