Nearly 300,000 workers left the federal government in 2025 amid a sweeping effort to reshape the workforce. Among them was FEMA employee Abby McIlraith, who was placed on administrative leave after signing a letter criticizing the agency’s direction under President Donald Trump. Her experience offers a window into a much larger transformation documented by The Washington Post through a year of reporting and interviews with more than 1,200 current and former federal workers.