Job seekers hoping to work in new President Donald Trump’s administration face a series of tough ‘loyalty tests’, with White House team checking MAGA (Make America Great Again) ‘integrity’ are dispatched to government agencies to do so.
People applying for jobs will be asked to prove their “enthusiasm” for enacting President Donald Trump’s policies, and “negative” posts on social media will lead to application rejection, according to the Associated Press. It is said that they are connected.
Candidates are also asked when they had their “MAGA epiphany” moment.
For example, an application on the Trump transition website asks candidates, “What part of President Trump’s campaign message appeals most to you? And why?”
It also asks candidates to explain how they “supported” Republican leaders in the 2024 election, with options including volunteer work, fundraising, door-knocking, and phone calls. Can be mentioned.
The “checks” on potential Trump staffers began shortly after Trump began his campaign and continued after Trump’s victory.
“MAGA Committee”
A derogatory term for recruits sent to federal agencies by the White House, some officials refer to them as “MAGA committee members,” a nod to the former Soviet Communist Party.
“They are generally young and many do not appear to have particular expertise or background in the portfolios of the agencies they work for,” said three officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Jurors appear to be looking for even the slightest divergence between a candidate and the MAGA movement and ‘America First’ policies, such as negative social media posts or photos with President Trump’s opponents. In some cases, applications are rejected or deferred for further review,” they added.
The atmosphere at the State Department, which has been a particular target of Trump since his first term, is reportedly “tense” and “depressing,” with career civil servants and diplomats fearing “retaliation” from the new administration and making policy changes. and are cautious about expressing their opinions on personnel matters. political boss.
‘No one should be surprised’: White House
White House communications director Stephen Chan defended this approach, saying it was “not surprising” that the people hired should be “aligned with the administration’s mission.”
“No one in the private industry would hire someone who wasn’t mission-focused, and government is no exception. We employ more than 1,300 people while maintaining the highest standards of competency.” Cheung he added.
Donald Trump’s second term
On January 20, Republican leaders took the oath of office for their second and final terms and signed a series of executive orders shortly after taking office.
In the November 2024 election, he defeated then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate. Kamala Harris became the presidential candidate after then-President Joe Biden, who succeeded Donald Trump in January 2017, decided not to seek re-election.
