Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the firings a “chilling purge,” while GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, acknowledged that the firings may have violated the law but said: “Just tell them you need to follow the law next time.”

This is how long the hiring freeze will last and the implications for federal employees, those with job offers and college graduates and students.

The president is throwing the federal government, and the welfare of the men and women who fought for the nation, into chaos

The acting Veterans Affairs secretary said in a Jan. 21 memo that the requested exemptions cover positions critical to the delivery of health care services.

A federal hiring freeze is a big deal in St. Louis, where the government is one of the area's biggest employers.