President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to use the power of his office to dramatically reshape the federal workforce by reintroducing his controversial “Schedule F” executive order, a move that could allow him to swiftly replace career civil servants with his own political allies.
If reinstated, the order would undo many of the civil service protections that federal employees have historically enjoyed. Under the plan, thousands of bureaucrats could be removed from their positions without the usual ‘safeguards’, opening the door for Trump to replace them with lateral entries who align with his political agenda.
Here is what you need to know
President-elect Donald Trump | Image: AP
Trump has made it clear that if re-elected, he intends to immediately bring back the “Schedule F” executive order from his first term. The order, first signed in 2020, was designed to make it easier for presidents to dismiss federal workers who are seen as resistant to policy changes. In other words, it allows a president to dismiss unelected bureaucrats, if they refuse to implement an elected president’s policies. Trump has repeatedly pledged to use this power aggressively, calling for the removal of what he terms the “deep state” and accusing career bureaucrats of hindering his administration’s objectives.
According to a report from Axios, sources close to Trump revealed that his transition team is already preparing for the re-implementation of “Schedule F”. His allies, including groups like the America First Policy Institute, have also been pushing for broad changes to federal employment rules. The Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” outlines a plan for the reinstatement of Schedule F and other reforms aimed at curbing the power of federal employees who are perceived as obstructing the president’s agenda.
A quick look at the details
Capitol Hill, Washington DC | Image: AP
Schedule F would apply to a wide range of federal employees, particularly those in policy-making or policy-advocating roles. These workers, estimated to number as many as 50,000, would lose their job protections, essentially becoming at-will employees. This would make it easier for Trump, or any future president, to remove them without cause, sidestepping the normal civil service protections that have been in place for decades.
Though the GOP’s official 2024 platform does not specifically mention “Schedule F,” the party’s rhetoric about limiting government and rooting out corruption suggests that this might be a priority.
This sweeping approach to the federal workforce is a stark contrast to the standard presidential transition, where over 4,000 political appointees are replaced, but the majority of federal workers stay on under a nonpartisan civil service system.
Trump’s focus on “Schedule F” marks a fundamental shift in how he views the federal bureaucracy and how it should be aligned with his political goals.
For many years, Republicans have felt that the civil service is hostile to their ideology. In other words, many Republicans believe that civil service employees, although technically non-partisan, are in reality, partisans, working for the Democrats.
Will Trump succeed?
As Trump prepares for another term, the question remains whether his vision for the federal workforce will take shape as promised. Some analysts have suggested that the Trump administration will fail in curbing the power of bureaucrats. Only time will tell.
For now, though, the reintroduction of Schedule F appears to be a cornerstone of Trump’s plan to reshape the government and curb the influence of federal employees he sees as hostile to his administration’s priorities.
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