Dear Reader,
The purge has begun. But President Donald Trump seems determined not just to remove federal employees. He wants to demonize them as well.
In the past 10 days, the Trump administration has fired dozens of federal prosecutors, 18 inspectors general, and senior leaders at the FBI without cause. More removals seem imminent. Based on an email from the acting FBI director, thousands of FBI agents across the country who touched any one of the cases against Trump or the Jan. 6 attackers are at risk. Trump seems to be making good on his promises of “retribution.”
But his crusade seems to be even more than a vengeance tour. He has also invited all 2.4 million federal workers to resign and ordered a hiring freeze.
What is behind the zeal for removing federal employees? One answer lies in the words of Russell Vought, Trump’s nominee for the Office of Management and Budget and architect of Project 2025, a “blueprint for governing.” In speeches to a pro-Trump think tank in 2023 and 2024, Vought expressed his views that federal employees had completed a “Marxist takeover” of the country, and emphasized his determination to prevent them from obstructing Trump’s agenda.
One way to accomplish his goal quickly is to drive them out of government. In a 2024 speech to a pro-Trump think-tank, Vought said he wanted to put bureaucrats “in trauma,” explaining, “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”
As someone who spent more than 20 years as a federal employee, I am disgusted by the efforts to disparage public servants. One of the greatest joys of serving as a U.S. Attorney was the opportunity to hire federal prosecutors. We would typically ask applicants why they were interested in leaving lucrative jobs at prominent law firms to work long hours for a fraction of the pay. Successful candidates gave answers around a common theme – a desire to contribute, even if only in a small way, to serving the public. Some would talk about making their communities safer. Others might discuss protecting the rights of victims or improving the fairness of the criminal justice system. Many simply wanted to serve their country.
I was deeply proud to work alongside federal agents, prosecutors, paralegals, victim specialists and other professionals who did just that. They worked nights, weekends, and holidays with no extra pay, just to protect others. I recall one instance when, on a Friday afternoon, we received a tip about a doctor who was deliberately misdiagnosing his patients with cancer so he could administer expensive chemotherapy treatments and rake in profits. A team of federal employees worked all weekend to confirm the allegations, prepare affidavits and warrants, and plan for alternate care options for patients. By Tuesday, the doctor was in custody, and his properties and bank accounts had been seized. The prosecution team convicted him and used his assets to compensate the victims. Their reward? The pride of stopping a predator and the satisfaction of helping people who had been hurt and betrayed.
But those are virtues Trump will never understand. This is the man who has reportedly referred to fallen soldiers as “suckers” and “losers” for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect America. The memo answering frequently asked questions about the deferred resignations for federal employees reflects a preference for money over service. It states, “We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so. The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.” As if the only measure of value is economic reward.
What is the end goal? One obvious conclusion is that federal workers will be replaced with employees who understand the importance of loyalty. For Trump, that means fealty to him, and not to the Constitution they swear to uphold. One of Trump’s early executive orders restored Schedule F of the civil service regulations, creating a large class of employees that are excepted from legal protections, and may be fired at will. Civil service protections were born out of a desire to end the spoils system that existed until the late 1800s by professionalizing the federal workforce to develop expertise and to insulate employees from politics. With Schedule F, Trump can remove a large swath of government employees who adhere to legal and ethical practices to check Trump’s worst instincts.
Another possibility is that federal employees will not be replaced at all, and instead, their jobs will be outsourced to the private sector. While competitive bids for services have superficial appeal, using them means that profit, and not service, will drive decision-making.
I saw firsthand the hazards of running a government like a business when the people of Flint, Michigan, endured a water crisis in 2014. An emergency manager switched sources for the city’s water supply to save money. Lack of proper treatment caused the water to collect lead from underground pipes before coming out of household faucets. After 18 months of ignoring residents’ complaints, the city finally acknowledged the disastrous mistake that poisoned the city’s residents. Remediation efforts continue to this day, and will never make the victims whole.
Members of the public likely don’t appreciate the work that is done behind the scenes to support American life. But real people issue Social Security checks, guard our nuclear power plants, inspect meat and perform hundreds of other functions essential to public safety and wellness.
Don’t let Trump convince anyone that public servants are in any way less valuable than private sector employees because they prioritize making a difference over making a living.
Stay Informed,
Barb
