Disabled Air Force veteran Nathan Hooven, who voted for Trump, now finds himself unemployed and feeling betrayed by the president’s federal government downsizing that cost him his job at a Virginia medical facility for veterans. The mass firing of federal employees under Trump’s administration is disproportionately affecting veterans, who make up 30% of the federal workforce, with potentially thousands losing their jobs. The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning further reorganization, including cutting over 80,000 jobs, despite veterans representing a significant portion of its workforce.

Veterans like James Stancil and Cynthia Williams, who both supported different candidates in the past election, feel blindsided and betrayed by their sudden job losses, citing positive performance reviews prior to their terminations. Trump administration officials defend the cuts as necessary for fiscal responsibility, sparking outrage among veterans who believe they are being unfairly targeted and discarded.

The emotional toll on veterans like Matthew Sims, who supported Trump but disagrees with the abrupt approach to downsizing, and Jared Evans, who was fired after moving his family for a job at the VA, is evident. The sense of betrayal and uncertainty among these veterans is palpable, with many feeling abandoned and left to navigate an unfamiliar and challenging landscape without adequate support. The impact of these layoffs on veterans’ lives and livelihoods underscores the complex and far-reaching consequences of the government’s restructuring decisions.