The cafeteria in a prominent federal department has been eerily silent and abandoned, shut down for years under the Biden administration, The Post has learned.
The Department of Interior (DOI) cafeteria was initially closed during the coronavirus pandemic, but the lunchroom remained shut down for several years because the Biden administration did not require federal employees to work in person.
Photos of the deserted cafeteria obtained by The Post showed rows of empty seats, bare serving stations and empty refrigerators.
The cafeteria in a top federal department resembles a ghost town after remaining empty and closed for years under the Biden administration, a source close to the situation said. Getty Images
The Department of Interior cafeteria was initially closed during the pandemic, but remained shut down for several years because the Biden administration did not require federal employees to work in person. Obtained by NY Post“You have federal workers showing up to protest President Trump’s plan to make government work for the people on a federal holiday, but they refuse to show up to work when they are collecting a paycheck courtesy of American taxpayers. It’s just nuts,” an insider told Fox News Digital.
“It’s understandable that the cafeteria would close during the pandemic, but the pandemic has been over for years,” the source told Fox. “Why did the Biden administration let everyone continue to work from home when there is real work to be done for the country?”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told The Post that employees at his agency were getting back to work.
“Nobody works harder for the American people than President Trump. In his first term he was courageous, now he’s fearless. With the workforce returning, President Trump is ensuring all federal employees are working together everyday to help deliver American prosperity, affordability, and world peace,” Burgum said.
Trump, in January, signaled an end to Biden’s remote work policies, telling federal employees they must return to in-person work by early February or “be terminated.”
“Getting the workforce back to the office will help accelerate America’s sprint to Energy Dominance,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. Obtained by NY Post
A photo taken on Feb. 20, 2025, reveals that five years after the pandemic, the lunchroom remains empty which “shows you exactly what’s wrong with the mindset of far too many federal workers,” the source told the media. FOX News DigitalIn compliance with this return to work order, Burgum is requiring that all federal employees return to the office.
Fox News recently learned that the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters in Washington, D.C., has seen little change since the early days of the Trump administration, with one official comparing its atmosphere to a “taxpayer-funded version of a ‘Spirit Halloween’ store.”
Over the past month, the Trump administration has been carrying out a massive review of federal agencies, reducing expenditures and trimming staff as part of a broader initiative to streamline and shrink the size of the government.
A sign for the U.S. Department of Interior headquarters building in January 2025, in Washington, DC. Getty Images
“President Trump is keeping his promise to the American people about having a government that works hard and responsibly for the people,” Burgum said. Getty ImagesThe U.S. Office of Personnel Management gave more than two million federal civilian employees an ultimatum in January: Return to work in person or take a buyout and leave your job.
Roughly 75,000 federal workers have opted into Trump’s delayed resignation initiative, allowing them to keep their full salary and benefits while being excused from in-person duties until Sept. 30.
