US intelligence indicates that Russia and China are attempting to recruit federal employees fired by the Trump administration
Foreign Adversaries Targeting U.S. Federal Employees Amid Mass Layoffs
Foreign intelligence services, including those from Russia and China, have recently ramped up efforts to recruit U.S. federal employees working in national security, particularly those who have been fired or fear they soon will be, according to four sources familiar with recent U.S. intelligence and a document reviewed by CNN.
The intelligence suggests that adversaries are seizing on the Trump administration’s plans for sweeping layoffs across the federal workforce, as outlined earlier this week by the Office of Personnel Management.
Who Is Being Targeted?
Russia and China are reportedly focusing on:
- Recently fired employees with security clearances
- Probationary employees at risk of termination
These individuals may have critical knowledge about U.S. infrastructure and government operations, making them attractive targets, two sources said.
At least two foreign governments have already launched recruitment websites and are aggressively approaching federal employees on LinkedIn, according to two of the sources.
A Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) report assessed with "high confidence" that foreign adversaries were actively trying to exploit the Trump administration’s mass layoffs to recruit insiders, according to a partially redacted copy reviewed by CNN.
Recruitment Tactics
The NCIS report states that foreign intelligence officers are directing assets to:
- Create fake company profiles on LinkedIn
- Post job advertisements
- Actively pursue federal employees who mark themselves as “open to work”
Intelligence officers are also using platforms like TikTok, RedNote, and Reddit to find potential recruits.
“At Their Most Vulnerable”
Foreign adversaries believe recently fired U.S. officials are particularly susceptible to recruitment, one source said:
"They are out of a job, bitter about being fired, and financially vulnerable."
A third source emphasized that these former employees possess deep institutional knowledge, making them highly valuable to adversarial intelligence agencies.
“It doesn’t take much imagination to see why our competitors would find them incredibly attractive targets.”
Concerns Within the U.S. Intelligence Community
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as well as the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington, have not commented on the intelligence findings.
However, the revelations confirm a long-standing concern among national security officials:
- Mass layoffs could expose former U.S. employees to foreign recruitment efforts
- Financially distressed or resentful workers may be more likely to sell sensitive information
The Justice Department has already prosecuted multiple former U.S. military and intelligence officials in recent years for providing classified information to China.
Trump Administration’s Response Sparks Controversy
Within the intelligence community, career officials at the CIA have been quietly discussing strategies to mitigate the risk of former employees being recruited by adversaries.
However, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dismissed these discussions as a political ploy.
"These so-called warnings are not about protecting America," Gabbard told Fox News' Jesse Watters on Tuesday. "They are about disloyal bureaucrats trying to save their own jobs."
She went further, suggesting that intelligence officials raising these concerns should be “rooted out”:
“These are exactly the kind of people we need to get rid of, so that true patriots can focus on their mission.”
Growing Frustration Among Intelligence Officials
Multiple current officials from national security agencies told CNN—on condition of anonymity—that they are frustrated by the administration’s response.
They argue that the intelligence warnings are not partisan attacks, but rather genuine threats that should be taken seriously to protect U.S. national security.