An Iraq war veteran who lost her job during Trump cuts to the federal workforce has begun flying the American flag upside down, a sign of distress, outside her home.
Retired Sergeant First Class Joy Marver, who lives in Burnsville, Minnesota, said she took the step "not lightly" after suicidal thoughts following her release from the Veterans Benefits Association, which forms part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in February.
Why It Matters
Since
Donald Trump's second inauguration as president on January 20 the new administration has
implemented significant spending and job cuts to the federal government, overseen by
Elon Musk's newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk has previously indicated federal government spending, which the Congressional Budget Office predicted to be
$6.5 trillion in 2024, should be cut by
up to $2 trillion a year.
What To Know
In an
interview with local network KARE 11, Marver told of her horror at losing her job as a support specialist with the Veterans Benefits Administration on February 24. She previously served in the Minnesota National Guard and suffered a traumatic brain injury during a rocket attack in Iraq.
Marver was one of thousands of federal probationary employees, meaning they had been in their jobs for less than one year, who were
dismissed as part of the purge.
Speaking to KARE 11 Marver said that about three weeks ago "as I was logging in to my computer it said my access has been revoked, seek administrator."
She continued: "Right then and there I knew something wasn't right. Just knowing about all these cuts and seeing how many people had been let go the week before so my heart sunk right to the bottom of my stomach and I just knew."
About 1,400 probationary Veterans Affairs Department employees, including Marver, were laid off on February 24.
Marver said she was left devastated after losing her job, and considered suicide on the way back home from her former office.
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