Trump, he said, “has been very clear of who he doesn’t want to include in this administration. And so those are clear guidelines that we adhere to”.
Some officials have referred to the newcomers sent by the White House to federal agencies disparagingly as “MAGA commissars,” a reference to Communist Party officials from 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 US officials, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
They said the screeners seem to be looking for even the slightest divergence between candidates and Trump’s 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.
One official said he and several colleagues from various agencies had been told that even if they passed the initial vetting process to be admitted into the applicant pool, they would still need to convince interviewers of their “enthusiasm” to put in place Trump’s policies, including by providing references from people whose loyalty had already been established.
This official said one colleague who made it to the interview stage was asked when that person’s moment of “MAGA revelation” had occurred.
At the State Department, which has been a particular Trump target since his first term, current officials have described the atmosphere as “tense” and “glum,” with career civil and foreign service officers leery of voicing opinions on policy or personnel matters, let alone politics, fearing retribution from their new political bosses.
Career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council have been questioned by senior Trump administration officials about which candidate they voted for in the election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by Trump’s team.
On Wednesday, roughly 160 Security Council “detailees” – experts seconded to the department under the Biden administration – were told that they were being sent home so Trump’s team could conduct a review to ensure its personnel aligned with the president’s agenda.
“No one should be surprised 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,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said.
“Over 1300 individuals have been hired while maintaining the highest standards of competency,” he added.
AP
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