The Trump administration is advancing measures to facilitate the dismissal of certain federal employees, aiming to reduce the size of the federal government and increase its oversight. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a rule on Friday to reclassify tens of thousands of career civil servants as “at-will” employees, as announced by the White House. Eliminating civil service protections would simplify the process of terminating workers.
The White House indicated that the proposed rule targets “unaccountable, policy-determining federal employees who prioritize their interests over those of the American people.”
President Trump and his associates, including billionaire Elon Musk, have expressed a desire to “dismantle government bureaucracy,” which they accuse of being a “deep state,” aiming to eliminate what Trump describes as “rogue bureaucrats.” They have alleged, without providing evidence, that the government is abundant with corrupt and non-existent employees. Trump argues his administration should have more leeway in appointing individuals who will uphold his policies and dismissing those who will not.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that government employees who fail to advance presidential policy interests or engage in corrupt actions should not remain employed.
The initiative to remove civil service protections dates back to Trump’s first day back in office, starting with an executive order that reinstated an order he signed at the end of his initial term in 2020. This order was later revoked by then-President Biden shortly after his inauguration. The latest Trump order introduces a new category of political appointees called Schedule F.
The OPM estimates around 50,000 positions, or about 2% of federal employees, will be reclassified under the new rule, renaming Schedule F as Schedule Policy/Career. According to a White House statement, it would affect “career employees with important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties.” Following the OPM’s final rule issuance, an additional executive order would reclassify specific positions as Schedule Policy/Career.
The White House statement asserts that this rule enables federal agencies to promptly dismiss employees in policy-influencing roles for inadequate performance, misconduct, corruption, or failure to follow Presidential directives, circumventing lengthy procedural hurdles.
It further clarifies that Schedule Policy/Career roles do not require personal or political allegiance to the President, but recipients must lawfully execute policies. These positions will continue to be filled through existing nonpartisan, merit-based hiring practices, according to the White House.
The American Federation of Government Employees has filed a lawsuit against the administration to safeguard civil service workers. Its president, Everett Kelley, stated on Friday that the new rule would degrade the merit-based hiring system and compromise the professional civil service upon which Americans depend.
The proposed rule on Friday is part of Trump’s significant restructuring of the federal government, which includes closing certain agencies and proceeding with extensive layoffs.
Additionally, Trump has removed other government officials he deems insufficiently loyal, such as dismissing more than a dozen Justice Department officials involved in federal criminal inquiries related to him.
