With two words, President Donald Trump struck fear into the hearts of government agencies who believe that no staff is too large as long as taxpayers are covering the payroll.

Hiring freeze.

As Politico reported, the order on the hiring freeze, effective immediately, bars all agencies and departments from filling vacant positions and calls on them to “seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services.”

Them’s fightin’ words inside the Beltway.

But they’re a model for states and municipalities who lard their staff with new hires with little regard for budgets, taxpayers, and fiscal efficiency.

To hear them tell it, every personnel add-on is vital, every new position and new department is key to the success of their city, town or state.

And the budgets balloon each year while taxpayers foot the bill.

The hiring freeze does not apply to the military or positions related to immigration enforcement, national security or public safety.

Within the next 90 days, the order said, the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Government Efficiency directors will submit a plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Bureaucrats and their minions are no doubt breathing into paper bags at this news, but those who keep their jobs aren’t off the hook.

Trump has also ordered federal workers to return to the office full time. The audacity.

The federal government, with over 2 million employees, is the country’s largest employer. The Trump administration is asking the quiet part out loud: Are all 2 million necessary? And of those who are, why can’t they return to the office? The pandemic was declared over in May of 2023, and yet office space remains empty in D.C. as many workers remain at home.

Guess who pays for that empty space?

Pre-pandemic, those who worked from home were outliers, now the setup is mainstream. But private sector companies have also called workers back, some citing a need for in-person collaboration and interaction. That the cost of empty office space comes out of company coffers is a major, if unsaid, factor.

The private sector is not big on wasting money. It’s a different story with government. At least the government that we’re used to. Trillion-dollar spends are the new normal.

Trump “resisters” are already gearing up for lawsuits against the new president over his proposed deportation moves and whatever else he does that flouts their agenda.

Those who voted for Trump, however, must be pleased by his Day One actions to cut back on spending and mandate efficient use of people and funds.

The problem lies with taxpayers around the country who look at their local governments and ask “Are all these people really necessary?”

That’s a status quo that calls for resistance.

Massachusetts leaders, are you listening?

Editorial cartoon by Gary Varvel (Creators Syndicate)