A new report reveals that former President Donald Trump and his allies intend to try to execute on their plans to “drain the swamp” should the former president win reelection.
Axios reported Friday that Trump intends to staff his administration with young professionals who agree with his agenda by reimplementing Schedule F, an executive order from his first presidency.
Trump created Schedule F in 2020 that formed a category of federal employees who are in “positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.” The executive order would allow these employees to be changed during a presidential transition.
“The Federal Government benefits from career professionals in positions that are not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition,” the order read.
As many as 50,000 federal employees could be in positions indicated by Schedule F where it applies, meaning that Trump would be able to fire thousands of federal workers immediately and could include employees of the FBI, State Department and the Pentagon.
Not all of Trump’s staff were on board with the president’s goals during his presidency. The former president’s strained relationship with former National Security Adviser John Bolton culminated in Trump firing him. Trump later told the Daily Caller that Bolton was a “dumb maniac who wants to go to war with any anybody that can breathe.” In 2019, former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci called Trump an “orange cancer.”
Trump continues to hint at a presidential run, and as he does, some conservatives are attempting to pack his administration with individuals who are ideologically aligned to him. Schedule F could allow them to replace those who would oppose the former president’s ideals.
“We are consciously bringing on the toughest and most courageous fighters with the know-how and credibility to crush the deep state,” Russ Vought, President of the Center for Renewing America (CRA), told Axios. CRA’s mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God with unique interests worthy of defending.”
Other conservative groups are making similar efforts. Former Trump senior advisor Steven Miller created America First Legal in 2021, which challenges the legality of many of President Biden’s policies. Now, they are involved in creating a coalition of lawyers who could fill roles in the Trump White House.
American Moment, a group that recruits and trains potential staffers for all level of government, claims that 700 “fully vetted” individuals could fill roles as well.
“Everyone in the federal government wants to act like they’re working in policy,” said Saurabh Sharma, president of American Moment. “But if you’re doing policy you’re immediately hirable and fireable at will.”
“It’s going to take principled and effective leadership at the top of the presidential personnel office to import Schedule F and make sure that the next conservative President can fill the administration with people they need,” he said.
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