Former President Donald Trump is promising his supporters a campaign to “demolish the deep state” and transform the federal government to align with his beliefs. His plans include making all executive branch employees fireable at will, moving positions out of Washington, and eliminating or dismantling entire departments. These changes could have a significant impact on the federal government and could lead to a politicization of the workforce.
Experts warn that Trump’s plans could lead to the politicization and corruption of the federal workforce, as well as the loss of experienced employees. Trump’s executive orders aimed at reclassifying civil service workers as political appointees were met with criticism from officials across administrations and were rescinded by President Joe Biden. His plans for a second term could potentially affect thousands of federal workers and undermine the nonpartisan nature of the civil service.
One of the architects of Trump’s plan for a second term, Russell Vought, outlined a roadmap for reshaping the federal government and crushing what he called “the woke and weaponized bureaucracy.” While the Trump campaign has distanced itself from specific recommendations, the overall direction aligns with Trump’s campaign promises to reissue executive orders and make significant changes to the federal workforce.
Trump’s efforts to move federal agencies to locations outside of Washington in the past have resulted in the loss of experienced employees and a disruption of agency operations. Moves like relocating agencies to Grand Junction and Kansas City led to staff attrition and the loss of institutional knowledge. Critics argue that such moves do not necessarily lead to cost savings and can negatively impact the functioning of agencies.
The potential for Trump to use the Department of Justice to pursue baseless prosecutions of political enemies raises concerns about the independence of the Justice Department. Trump’s willingness to target individuals and agencies for political reasons, along with his plans to overhaul the National Security and Intelligence apparatus, point to a potential erosion of institutional checks and balances in a second term.
While Trump’s plans may be appealing to his supporters, the implications of his proposed changes to the federal government raise concerns about the future of the civil service and the integrity of government operations. Experts warn that Trump’s initiatives, if implemented, could have far-reaching consequences for democracy and the functioning of the federal government. As the campaign unfolds, the stakes for the federal workforce and the integrity of government institutions remain high.
