Picture a federal worker who spends their days helping veterans or tracking wildfires, only to hear the White House claim that just 6 percent of people like them show up full-time. The Trump administration has been repeating this number relentlessly, suggesting most of the government’s 2.3 million employees are slacking off at home instead of doing their jobs. They’ve used it as a reason to fire thousands and push even more out the door. However, the stat doesn’t hold up—it’s simply not true—and yet they keep leaning on it. Let’s explore where this misleading figure is coming from, how it’s affecting real people, and why sticking to the facts matters for all of us.