The Trump administration is advancing efforts to facilitate the dismissal of certain federal employees, as part of its initiative to downsize and exert greater control over the federal government. On Friday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a rule to reclassify tens of thousands of career civil servants as “at-will” employees, according to a White House statement. This reclassification would remove civil service protections, making it easier to terminate employees.
The White House stated that the proposed rule is targeted at “unaccountable, policy-determining federal employees who prioritize personal interests over those of the American people.” President Trump and allies, including billionaire Elon Musk, have expressed a desire to “dismantle government bureaucracy,” which they refer to as a “deep state,” aiming to eliminate what Trump describes as “rogue bureaucrats.” They have claimed, without evidence, that the government is plagued with corrupt and non-existent employees. Trump has consistently advocated for more freedom in appointing individuals aligned with his agenda and removing those who are not.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump articulated that government employees who fail to support presidential policy interests, or engage in corrupt activities, should face dismissal. The initiative to remove civil service protections began on Trump’s initial day back in office, with an executive order reinstating a prior order from the end of his first term in 2020, which was subsequently rescinded by then-President Biden. The new Trump order introduces a category of political appointees within the federal workforce, originally designated as Schedule F.
OPM projects that 50,000 positions, or approximately 2% of federal workers, will be reclassified under the new rule, now called Schedule Policy/Career. The White House explained that this category includes “career employees with significant policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties.” A final rule from OPM, followed by another executive order, will reclassify specific positions as Schedule Policy/Career.
The White House statement also mentions that the rule enables federal agencies to quickly remove employees from policy-influencing positions for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or failure to adhere to Presidential directives without facing lengthy procedural delays. Furthermore, it clarified that Schedule Policy/Career positions do not require personal or political support for the President but must enforce the law and administration policies, remaining subject to nonpartisan, merit-based hiring processes.
The American Federation of Government Employees has initiated a lawsuit against the administration to defend civil service workers. Its president, Everett Kelley, commented on Friday that the action would weaken the government’s merit-based hiring framework and disrupt the professional civil service that the public depends on.
This proposed rule is part of Trump’s broader agenda to implement significant changes to the federal government, including closing some agencies and proceeding with substantial layoffs. Trump has also removed other government officials he perceives as lacking loyalty, such as the dismissal of over a dozen Justice Department officials involved in federal criminal investigations concerning him.
