Last week, whispers flooded Washington when news broke that Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Justice (DOJ) had pulled out of the running. The reason? Unfavorable scrutiny of his alleged dating history, which included minors, drugs, and cash—talk about a scandalous mess. For those within the DOJ, the response was immediate and loud: sighs of relief all around. One career prosecutor texted me within hours: "Disaster dodged." Another, clearly in disbelief, asked, "How did we get so lucky?" And a former DOJ prosecutor sent a simple yet hopeful message: "Maybe the Republic endures." It was clear—Trump's latest pick had caused more than just ripples; it had been a full-blown crisis narrowly avoided.
The conversation in Washington quickly turned to what this near-miss meant for the rest of the federal workforce. As Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign rolls forward with the expectation that he’ll return to power, there's a growing concern among the 4.5 million federal employees about a cultural shift like nothing they've seen before. And let’s be honest—it's going to be even more jarring than the first time Trump entered the White House in 2017. Back then, many argue, he had two major factors that kept him somewhat in check. First, he didn’t fully grasp the sheer magnitude of an unchecked presidency. Second, the people around him were largely normie CEOs who knew how to play the game but didn’t always fully embrace Trump’s more radical impulses.
This time? It’s different. Trump is far more experienced in wielding presidential power, and the people he’s choosing to surround himself with reflect his sharpened political instincts. His picks are much less about experience or skill and more about loyalty and how well they’ll play to Trump’s base. Take the spectacle of his first pick for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, a Florida congressman with minimal legal expertise and absolutely zero experience running a massive federal department. Gaetz’s selection was a classic example of Trump’s approach: focus more on the optics and how well someone performs in front of a camera. But that quickly backfired. Within just eight days, Gaetz went from being Trump’s golden child to an outright disgrace, embroiled in a scandal so severe it had even his staunchest MAGA allies raising an eyebrow.
Gaetz’s rapid fall from grace has put Trump in a tight spot, but not without consequences for those within the Republican Party, especially in the Senate. Trump, ever defiant, seems determined to push the limits of what the Senate will accept as nominees. Even after Gaetz's dramatic exit, there are still major concerns about the temperament and qualifications of other potential nominees, including names like Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Their credentials—or lack thereof—are coming under intense scrutiny, but the president appears unfazed. For Trump, it's not about qualifications; it’s about loyalty, perception, and how well a nominee resonates with his audience on cable news.
But it’s not just the high-profile positions that are being reshaped by this incoming administration. There’s a deeper, more systemic shift happening across the federal workforce, and it’s one that’s being driven by the MAGA agenda. Trump and his allies are poised to fill positions throughout the federal government with loyalists who will be ready to push his policies, whatever they may be. One of the most immediate changes expected is the widespread return-to-office mandates for federal workers, a move that could drastically reduce the number of government employees working remotely. This policy, still in its early stages, could lead to a significant thinning of the federal workforce—a shift that Trump allies seem to view as a win. The idea is simple: if federal employees are too comfortable with the flexibility of remote work, it's time to force a return to traditional office settings. Whether this policy will be as popular among workers as it is among Trump’s supporters remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: it's part of a broader cultural shift aimed at cleaning house and asserting control.
For federal employees—the largest group of workers under a single system in the country—the incoming administration will be a game changer. The career corps will be at the mercy of the president’s whims, and as Trump has repeatedly made clear, he has little patience for what he views as disloyalty within the ranks. The federal workforce, particularly those who have worked through several administrations, is already preparing for what promises to be a tense, uncomfortable period. The pressure will mount on long-standing employees, as the new leadership seeks to make changes, enforce loyalty, and push Trump’s populist agenda at every level of government.
For those within the DOJ, there’s a sense of relief—for now. They dodged a major bullet in avoiding Matt Gaetz, a candidate who would have brought chaos and dysfunction to an already under-fire institution. But as for the rest of the federal government? Well, they may not be so lucky. The Trump administration’s approach to staffing and policymaking is set to challenge the norms of government operations in ways never seen before. With a heavy emphasis on loyalty over expertise and a willingness to bypass traditional qualifications, the incoming wave of Trump loyalists may change the landscape of the federal government in dramatic and unpredictable ways.
In the coming months, as Trump continues to make his Cabinet picks, the focus will be on how these selections shape the future of federal work. Will the push for loyalty over experience result in chaos within the ranks, or will it consolidate Trump’s power, ensuring a more unified but potentially more authoritarian federal government? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: the stakes are higher than ever for the millions of federal workers caught in the crossfire.
The current atmosphere in Washington reflects an intense battle over the direction of the government—a battle that is not just about policy but also about power, control, and loyalty. As the Trump administration gears up for its next phase, federal workers, and particularly those within the DOJ, will need to brace themselves for a tumultuous ride ahead. What’s clear is that the era of "normie" governance is over, and in its place stands a more brazen, unapologetic approach to leadership. Whether this shift will ultimately benefit or harm the country remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: it’s going to be one heck of a ride.
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