President Trump announced a significant shift in how career government officials are managed, declaring that personnel involved in policy decisions within his administration will be reclassified as “Schedule Policy/Career” employees – effectively granting them at-will employment status. Those failing to align with his strategic objectives, or engaging in perceived misconduct, would face termination.
“In the wake of my initial executive order,” President Trump stated on Truth Social, “the Office of Personnel Management will enact revised Civil Service Regulations specifically designed for career government employees.” He emphasized a commitment to demanding “the highest standards of conduct and performance” from this redefined group.
This restructuring aligns with a broader strategy within the administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce. As part of this effort, approximately 50,000 individuals – representing roughly 2% of the entire federal workforce – will be affected by the changes, according to estimates from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The core of the new regulations centers on classifying employees with “important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties” as “at-will,” removing traditional protections afforded to civil servants. This means they would no longer be subject to lengthy disciplinary processes and appeals, a deliberate reversal of prior Biden Administration safeguards for underperforming staff.
“As the President articulated,” the White House explained in a memo, “this shift will enable federal agencies to quickly address poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or any deviation from Presidential direction—all without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.”
The revised framework dictates that employees’ primary obligation is to “faithfully implement the law and the administration’s policies,” regardless of personal political alignment. “If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job,” Trump asserted. “This allows the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’ We must root out corruption and implement accountability in our Federal Workforce!”
The implementation of this rule is contingent on subsequent executive orders; its effects will not take immediate effect.
