“My heart just sinks”: The former 24-year-old federal worker voted for Trump and was fired during mass layoffs – that's why she's not proud of her choices and what to do when you lose your job
When Ryleigh Cooper voted for President Donald Trump in the November presidential election, she was motivated by a major factor: his promise of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for free.
“Getting into the voting booth, I want to be a mom,” Cooper told CNN's Laura Coates.
The doctor told Cooper that she might never have thought of a child without using IVF, which had a profound impact on her vote.
“It’s really easy to get a tunnel vision when you vote on something that affects you so personal,” she told CNN.
But Cooper now regrets her vote. She also lives under the financial influence of Trump’s inauguration as she waits for Trump’s IVF promise to be fulfilled.
When Cooper entered the voting booth and chose to vote for Trump based on her IVF commitment, she was unaware of the impact it had on her financial security. She eventually worked for the U.S. Forest Service in February.
“I got a text from our union representative and he told me I'm going to be fired the next day,” Cooper said. “My heart sank.”
Her dismissal is part of a broad effort to reduce the federal workforce as President Trump set up a recruitment at the Forest Service and fired more than 3,400 employees.
While the president did rehire some forest service staff who worked in timber management, Cooper was not among them—the loss of the position would only increase her regret.
“I made a decision and looking back, I'm not proud of it,” she said.
Cooper is far from the only remorseful person who has voters, as CNN also keeps in touch with a former worker at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) who were put on hold for three weeks simply because they were a probation employee and are therefore easier to fire.
The CMS worker said her vote was inspired by a desire to reduce inflation and she did not expect him to terminate so many trial workers.
“If I knew, I would never vote for him.”
Read more: Gold just hit a historic high of $3,000 per ounce in Trump's tariff moves – while U.S. stocks were slaughtered. Here is a simple way to prevent more pain in minutes
Cooper and many other fired federal workers were in a vulnerable place. Losing your salary can suddenly wreak havoc on your financial situation, especially if you don't do the right move when counting.
Some key mistakes to avoid when losing a job include:
Don't know your rights: If you are part of a union like many federal workers, the workplace protection law may prevent you from termination unfairly. If you don’t understand the laws that protect you, or you don’t realize there are rules that give you unemployment benefits, you may miss the opportunity to fight for a job or get paid when looking for a new job.
Continue to spend like normal: Since you may not know when new works will be found, you cannot maintain your old spending habits, even if you have an emergency fund or savings to enjoy. It's a good idea to cut your budget so far before you get a steady salary again. Recalculating your net worth can be a good starting point when deciding on a new spending cap.
Unable to update your resume or LinkedIn: If you have an old, outdated resume or LinkedIn profile that doesn't reflect all the work you've done in your recent work, it's hard for you to find new work. Update your credentials and learn as detailed as possible about your previous position’s skills to help you develop so that you can attract new employers as soon as possible.
Not getting the correct contact information: If you keep good requirements with your manager, be sure to request their contact information so they can serve as a reference. You might even want to ask them to write you a recommendation letter before leaving. Don't hesitate to contact colleagues from past, either. Staying in touch with your last job location is a great way to stay relevant in your industry.
Not making the right choice through the retirement plan: When you leave work, you may not want to cash out your workplace retirement plan because you may face fines and lower your retirement safety opportunities. Instead, you may need to transfer your money to the IRA so you can carry it with you, as a capitalization study analyzed by Asppa found that up to $1.65 trillion of retirement funds have been forgotten in past work. You don't want your account to be one of them.
If you avoid these mistakes, hopefully you can make sure your unemployment does not cause any damage to your finances.
With so many federal workers finding themselves out of work, competition for new positions can be tough and it may take time to find a new job. That's why wise financial moves will be the key to enduring these tough times.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is without any warranty of any kind.
