She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this

Ryleigh Cooper is normally more focused on motherhood than politics. Then came DOGE.

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Ryleigh Cooper, 24, lost her job with the U.S. Forest Service. (Kyle Monk/For The Washington Post)
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By
Davies traveled to Baldwin, Michigan, where she interviewed Ryleigh Cooper over the course of several days, reviewed her messages and observed her int...more
Davies traveled to Baldwin, Michigan, where she interviewed Ryleigh Cooper over the course...more

BALDWIN, Mich. — Ryleigh Cooper exhaled as she slid onto the couch after nine hours of work for the U.S. Forest Service, still covered in the blue paint she used to mark trees for local loggers. Then she got the text.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” her union leader wrote.

Trump presidency

Follow live updates on the Trump administration. We’re tracking President Donald Trump’s progress on key campaign promises and lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive orders and actions.

U.S. DOGE Service: Elon Musk and his team have moved to dismantle some U.S. agencies, push out hundreds of thousands of civil servants and gain access to some of the federal government’s most sensitive payment systems. But many of these moves appear to violate federal law, according to several government officials.

Trump’s Cabinet: Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth have been confirmed. We’re tracking the nominations here.

Tariffs: Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The move came a week after Trump’s 10 percentage point increase in tariffs on Chinese goods took effect, prompting retaliatory measures from Beijing. Previously, Trump granted Mexico and Canada a 30-day reprieve on tariffs. Here’s what could get more expensive with Trump’s tariffs.

Federal workers: Trump targeted federal workers in his opening act — putting federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees on leave; banning remote work; and stripping employment protections from civil servants. In its latest move, the White House offered a “deferred resignation” to federal employees.

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What readers are saying

The comments reflect a strong sentiment of criticism towards Ryleigh Cooper's decision to vote for Trump, largely attributing it to naivety and a lack of critical thinking. Many commenters express a lack of sympathy, emphasizing that the information about Trump's character and... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
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Emily Davies is a reporter covering the impact of the Trump administration and the federal government on the D.C. area. Send her secure tips on Signal at 202-412-9091.@ELaserDavies
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