Trump order limits agency hiring, puts DOGE leads in decision-making roles; the State Department loses its top data and AI official

President Donald Trump accelerated his reduction of the federal workforce Tuesday with an executive order that minimizes agency hiring allowances, requiring four workers to depart for every one hire to be made. The order to implement Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency ”workforce optimization initiative” calls on the Office of Management and Budget director to submit a plan to reduce the federal workforce through those hiring limitations once the administration-mandated hiring freeze ends. Matthew Graviss, the Department of State’s first chief data and artificial intelligence officer, has left the agency, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. Graviss began as the department’s chief data officer in 2020 as the first person to hold the full-time role at the agency, in addition to serving as the agency’s top AI official. In a LinkedIn post about his move, Graviss called his time at the department an “incredible journey” and said he was proud of the work to modernize the agency. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.