US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday (March 5) announced that it is considering selling hundreds of "non-core" federal properties across the country. 

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The properties include offices for the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the US Mission to the United Nations.

“GSA’s decisive action to dispose of non-core assets leverages the private sector, drives improvements for our agency customers, and best serves local communities,” the General Services Administration said in a news release, claiming that it could potentially save “more than $430 million in annual operating costs.”

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Initially, a list of 440 "non-core" properties was posted on the GSA website including the FBI headquarters, the department of Justice, Veterans Affairs, Labor and Housing and Urban Development and the Old Post Office where the Trump organisation had a 60-year lease until it sold it to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in 2022. 

Later on Tuesday, the list was quickly reduced to 320 properties, with all DC-based properties removed.

Most of the buildings flagged consist primarily of office space and selling them will “ensure taxpayers no longer pay for empty and underutilized federal office space," according to the GSA. 

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Most of these properties removed from the inventory of "non-core" real estate assets were located in the Washington DC area. 

This comes as Trump has been trying to cut short the number of federal employees and the need for office space. 

However, Democrats have been seen criticising Trump's efforts, saying that the sale of federal buildings could affect small businesses, veterans, social security recipients and others who rely on in-person service from federal agencies.

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Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Trump and his billionaire adviser, Elon Musk, were trying to "dismantle our government, piece by piece, and sell it for parts."

(With inputs from agencies)