President Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday that reclassifies an estimated 8000 senior federal civil servants as at-will employees who can be dismissed without cause. The move targets GS-15 level positions with policy influence and follows efforts begun in his first term. It has already drawn lawsuits from advocacy groups.
The order creates a new Schedule Policy/Career category for these roles, which include policy office leaders, regional heads, program managers and senior public affairs officers. The White House says the change promotes accountability to the elected president's agenda without altering hiring processes or removing whistleblower protections. Critics argue the shift undermines the nonpartisan civil service system established after the 1881 assassination of President Garfield. Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward said employees should not face targeting by the government they serve, warning it harms public services nationwide. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor defended the policy as restoring democratic control, comparing it to private-sector accountability under a CEO. Legal challenges are ongoing, with experts predicting the issue may reach the Supreme Court.
