Judge orders White House must say firings not due to poor performance

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters during a swearing in ceremony (AP/Alex Brandon)

A US district judge in San Francisco ordered the Trump administration to provide probationary workers fired en masse a written statement saying they were not terminated for performance reasons, but as part of a government-wide termination.

Judge William Alsup is overseeing a lawsuit brought by labour unions and nonprofits contesting the mass firings of thousands of probationary workers in February under US President Donald Trump.