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Loyalty test for federal jobs? Trump demands ‘patriotic Americans’ in sweeping hiring shake-up

Loyalty test for federal jobs? Trump demands ‘patriotic Americans’ in sweeping hiring shake-up

President Donald Trump Photograph: (Reuters)

Story highlights

This move comes as former President Donald Trump pushes to shrink the size of the federal workforce, a key promise from the start of his presidency. According to the memo, the goal is to make sure “only the most talented, capable and patriotic Americans” are chosen.

The Trump administration has rolled out a major plan to reform how the US federal government hires new workers. The aim is to ensure that only what it calls “patriotic Americans” who back the president’s priorities are brought on board.

In a new hiring memo released on Thursday, the White House, along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), outlined how federal agencies must now recruit staff under what it calls a “merit hiring plan.”

This move comes as former President Donald Trump pushes to shrink the size of the federal workforce, a key promise from the start of his presidency. According to the memo, the goal is to make sure “only the most talented, capable and patriotic Americans” are chosen to serve in government roles.

New essay requirement for federal job applicants

Under the new policy, anyone applying for federal positions starting at the GS-5 level or higher will now have to write short essays. These must outline how they will support the US Constitution, improve efficiency, back Trump’s executive orders and policy goals, and demonstrate a strong work ethic.

Trump's allies argue the changes are necessary to root out government employees they believe are standing in the way of his agenda.

But critics say the plan amounts to a political loyalty test. They also warn it could make it harder to attract top talent to public service roles.

End of diversity metrics in hiring and promotions

The memo, written by Vince Haley, assistant to the president for domestic policy, and Charles Ezell, the acting director of OPM, claims the previous system relied too heavily on what it calls “discriminatory ‘equity’ quotas.”

It directs agencies to stop using statistics based on race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin when making hiring or promotion decisions. It also orders departments to stop sharing internal workforce data based on these characteristics.

Instead, the plan focuses entirely on merit and individual commitment to Trump’s vision.

Focus shifts away from ‘elite’ universities

Trump’s hiring overhaul also targets where the federal government looks for recruits. The memo says there’s been too much focus on hiring from “elite universities and credentials.”

Instead, the administration wants agencies to look for talent from a broader range of sources, including:

  • State and land-grant universities
  • Religious colleges and community colleges
  • Trade and technical schools
  • Homeschooling groups
  • Military and law enforcement communities
  • Faith-based and youth organisations like 4-H and the American Legion

Trump aims to speed up hiring across government

Another part of the plan aims to cut down the time it takes to hire someone for a federal role. The new target is to complete hiring processes in under 80 days, as per an earlier executive order from Trump.

Overhauling top executive recruitment

The memo also includes a separate strategy for hiring senior federal executives, those in the Senior Executive Service (SES). These roles involve significant decision-making power within government agencies.

Trump had previously said on his first day in office that these officials “must serve at the pleasure of the President.”

The memo calls the current SES hiring process “broken” and “insular,” accusing it of bringing in officials who either leak sensitive information, defy presidential policies, or work inefficiently.

It also says previous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements for SES hiring were “unlawful” and have now been removed.

New leadership programme to groom future executives

To train future executive leaders, OPM will now offer an 80-hour “fee-based aspiring executive development programme.” According to the memo, this training will be rooted in the Constitution and US laws and will include education on Trump’s executive orders.

The goal is to build a pipeline of leadership candidates “with the skills, knowledge, technical expertise, and strategic mindset necessary to excel in senior leadership roles.”