President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping government hiring freeze and mandated that all federal employees return to full-time in-office work. These actions were formalized on Monday through the signing of two executive orders, marking key components of his Day One initiatives.
The hiring freeze applies broadly across government agencies, signaling an effort to limit the expansion of the federal workforce. Simultaneously, the directive requiring federal workers to resume full-time office duties underscores Trump’s emphasis on restoring traditional workplace structures. These measures reflect Trump’s ongoing criticism of the federal bureaucracy, which he has frequently characterized as adversarial to his administration’s goals. By implementing these orders, Trump aims to reshape the federal workforce in alignment with his administration’s vision and priorities.
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order imposing an immediate hiring freeze across all federal agencies and departments, barring them from filling vacant positions. This directive requires agencies to prioritize the efficient use of existing personnel and resources to enhance the quality and delivery of public services. However, the hiring freeze does not apply to roles in the military or those tied to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety, which are deemed critical to the nation’s operations.
In conjunction with the hiring freeze, the order mandates that within 90 days, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the directors of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) must present a comprehensive plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce. DOGE is overseen by Elon Musk, whose portfolio includes several businesses involved in government contracting. Trump has praised his nominee to lead the OMB, Russell Vought, describing him as a determined advocate for cost-cutting and deregulation.
While the memorandum specifies that existing collective bargaining agreements will remain unaffected, it has drawn sharp criticism. Everett Kelley, the National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, denounced the move, claiming it is less about improving government efficiency and more about creating disruption and targeting federal workers. Kelley noted that Trump has frequently criticized federal employees, labeling them as dishonest and corrupt.
In a related memorandum, Trump has also directed all federal agencies to end remote work policies “as soon as practicable.” The order requires employees to resume full-time, in-person work at their designated duty stations, signaling a significant shift away from the remote work arrangements that became widespread during the pandemic.
The federal government, employing over 2 million people, is the largest employer in the United States. According to an OMB report released earlier this year, more than half of the federal workforce either works remotely on a regular basis or is fully remote. These changes are expected to have significant implications for the operations and dynamics of federal employment.
In the hours leading up to President Donald Trump’s anticipated wave of executive actions to kick off his term, questions have arisen regarding the staffing of mid- and lower-level positions in federal agencies. While attention in recent weeks has centered on filling Cabinet-level roles, journalist Maggie Haberman noted that this focus has created significant uncertainty about the individuals who will occupy the essential but less visible positions responsible for implementing Trump’s policies.
Journalist Kaitlan Collins added that the staffing process has been heavily influenced by an intense emphasis on loyalty to Trump, particularly regarding his contested claims about the 2020 presidential election and the events of January 6. Anderson Cooper further highlighted concerns about a shift in the hiring approach, pointing out that the federal government has historically relied on a nonpartisan bureaucracy capable of serving under any administration, regardless of political affiliation. This principle now appears to be under pressure.
Collins explained that Trump’s approach to staffing these roles has been unconventional. Over the past two months, dozens of candidates have been invited to Mar-a-Lago for interviews. While these interviews include discussions about their qualifications and perspectives on agency goals, a significant focus is placed on their loyalty to Trump. Candidates are questioned about their beliefs surrounding the outcome of the 2020 election and their views on the January 6 Capitol riot. These questions are not peripheral but central to the vetting process, with candidates fully aware of the “correct” answers needed to secure a position.
The emphasis on loyalty is consistent with Trump’s long-standing demand for personal allegiance from his staff. However, this second term’s hiring process appears even more deliberate and calculated. Trump has publicly acknowledged that he considers staffing decisions in his first term a major misstep, claiming that he failed to place the right people in the right positions. To avoid repeating this perceived mistake, his team is focusing on not just high-level Cabinet appointments but also the mid- and lower-level positions that directly execute policy.
Collins noted that interviewers have been given broad authority to assess candidates’ alignment with Trump’s views before presenting any recommendations to him. This has resulted in a rigorous and highly selective process where loyalty and ideological alignment with Trump’s perspective are treated as critical qualifications. According to Collins, this approach has become standard practice, affecting not just a handful of roles but permeating the broader hiring process.
Anderson Cooper expressed astonishment that questions about the 2020 election and January 6 have become routine parts of job interviews for federal roles. Collins confirmed this, stating that the practice is widespread and not limited to isolated cases. She emphasized that these loyalty checks are a deliberate strategy, reflecting Trump’s determination to surround himself with individuals who fully share and support his vision and beliefs.
This shift in the hiring process underscores a broader effort by Trump to reshape the federal workforce, prioritizing loyalty and ideological alignment over traditional qualifications and nonpartisan governance. The move signals a significant departure from past practices, with far-reaching implications for how federal agencies will operate and execute policies under Trump’s leadership.
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