'They can’t afford to live here': Deep red Montana town faces DOGE fallout

Harsh DOGE-related cuts are endangering a research facility serving as a huge economic driver for in Montana’s town of Hamilton.

Built in the middle of a conservative, blue-collar community of 5,000, Rocky Mountain Laboratories generates hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy through spillover to other industries and retail. But NPR reports Hamilton is “a prime example of how the Trump administration's mass federal layoffs and cancellation of research grants are being felt in communities far from Washington, D.C.”

Former Rocky Mountain Labs researcher Kim Hasenkrug said he despised President Donald Trump's vow to let Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild" on health issues.

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"We're beginning to see what 'going wild' looks like," Hasenkrug said. "These cuts will not streamline research. They will throttle it."

Forty-one Rocky Mountain Labs workers were let go or told their contracts would end this summer, and nine more took advantage of time served to retire early. The departures come as the Trump administration slashed at least $29 million in grants to Montana recipients, from university scientists to the state health department. Research has slowed, and NPR’s local affiliate reports scientists have struggled to buy basic gear. Researcher say even more cuts are planned for workers who buy and deliver critical supplies such as antibodies.

City Councilor Darwin Ernst told NPR that people are already leaving the town due to layoffs.

"Someone recently left with her entire family. Because of the layoffs, they can't afford to live here," he said. "Some people retire here but that's not everyone."

The conservative town contains a diverse assortment of ranchers, outdoor workers and scientists. Nearly 70% of county residents voted for Trump in 2024, but now NPR reports residents and leaders are worried about the economic consequences of an exodus of federal workers and their salaries.

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Ernst told AlterNet the town is already reeling from earlier federal cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which fired workers who cleared trails and maintained the government-managed public land that comprises “72 percent of the county.” He's not pleased to see that federal threat extend to Rocky Mountain Labs, which funds satellite contractors and suppliers. The company's well-paid employees also spend generously at local shops and businesses.

"We wrote a resolution from the city, and we sent out a letter of support to the National Institute of Health and one for the people laid off from the Forest Service to protect our area,” said Ernst, an independent. “Not everybody has the National Institute of Health in their backyard."

NPR reports the Trump administration is trying to eliminate at least 1,200 jobs at the NIH and shrink its budget by 40%.

Read the full NPR report here.