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‘MAGA revelation’, ‘enthusiasm’ for Trump's policies: How White House is recruiting employees for new US govt
Job aspirants hoping to work in the administration of new US President Donald Trump are reportedly facing a series of intense ‘loyalty tests.'
Job aspirants hoping to work in the administration of new US President Donald Trump are facing a series of intense ‘loyalty tests,’ with White House teams fanning out to government agencies to check for MAGA (Make America Great Again) ‘bona fides.’
Those applying for jobs have been told to prove their ‘enthusiasm’ to enact Donald Trump's policies, and ‘negative’ social media posts have led to rejection of applications, news agency Associated Press reported.
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Candidates are also being asked when they had their moment of ‘MAGA revelation,’ it added.
For example, an application from the Trump transition website asks candidates, “What part of President Trump's campaign message is most appealing to you and why?”
It also asks a candidate to explain how they ‘supported’ the Republican leader in the 2024 election, with the choices being volunteering, fundraising, door-knocking and making phone calls.
A ‘check’ of Trump's potential staffers began shortly after he launched his campaign, and has continued following his win.
‘MAGA commissars’
In a disparaging description of the newcomers sent by the White House to federal agencies, some officials have described the recruits as ‘MAGA commissars,’ a reference to the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union.
“They are generally young and many do not appear to have particular expertise or background in the portfolios of the agencies in which they are working,” according to three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“The screeners seem to be looking for even the slightest divergence between candidates and the MAGA movement and ‘America First’ policies. A negative social media post or a photograph with a Trump opponent has been enough for some applications to be rejected or put on hold for further review,” they added.
The mood at the State Department, a particular Trump target since his first term, is reportedly ‘tense’ and ‘glum,’ with career civil and foreign service officers wary of voicing opinions on policy or personnel matters, fearing ‘retribution’ from the new political bosses.
‘No one should be surprised’: White House
Defending the approach, White House's Communications Director, Steven Cheung, said it should not be a ‘surprise’ that those being hired should ‘align with the mission of the administration.’
"Nobody in private industry would ever hire someone who isn’t mission focused, and the government should be no different. Over 1,300 individuals have been hired, while maintaining the highest standards of competency,” Cheung added.
Donald Trump's second term
On January 20, the Republican leader took oath for his second and final term, and signed a series of executive orders shortly after his inauguration.
In the November 2024 election, he defeated then Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats' nominee. Kamala Harris became presidential candidate after then President Joe Biden, who succeeded Donald Trump in January 2017, decided not to seek a re-election.
