But Poole, an Air Force veteran who now works as a civilian trainer, says he's lost all trust in the government as President Donald Trump pushes a now-or-never buyout on federal workers and Democrats seem powerless to stop him.

Tens of thousands of government workers have already agreed to accept a "deferred resignation," but legal experts are calling its validity into question as it sidesteps Congress.

Just hours before the deadline for federal employees to accept the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer, a judge has temporarily blocked the buyout offer.