On his first day back, Trump needs to clean house and fire Biden’s appointees to regain control
Washington, D.C.: Firing people isn’t easy, but sometimes it’s necessary. When it comes to running a government, tough decisions have to be made. Trump knows this well from his first term.
He had to let go of some big names like Jim Mattis and John Bolton. Now, as he gears up for a second term, he needs to bring back that famous catchphrase: “You’re fired.” And he should start right at noon on January 20.
All of Biden’s political appointees, from Cabinet members to White House staff, will be out the door automatically. But Trump’s not stopping there. He’s also expected to target those in independent agencies, like Rohit Chopra at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
There’s a whole bunch of career federal workers who think they’re in charge of making policy instead of just following orders. That’s where Trump should really focus his efforts, starting with inspectors general.
Back in 2017, there was talk about replacing these watchdogs, most of whom were appointed by Obama. Some thought it was too aggressive, so Trump didn’t replace all of them. That was a mistake.
Inspectors general can be useful, but they can also be a thorn in the side of an administration they don’t like. If they let their politics get in the way, it can really slow down the president’s agenda.
Trump should do what previous presidents have done and put his own people in those positions. Republican inspectors general can do just as good a job, if not better, at keeping things in check.
Another area to look at is new federal hires. Biden seems to be trying to secure his legacy by filling positions with loyalists. He’s even trying to give federal workers the right to work from home until after the next election.
But here’s the thing: new hires have a probationary period. If they were brought on since January 21 of last year, Trump should consider letting them go unless there’s a really good reason to keep them.
Lastly, Trump should keep an eye out for Biden’s people who have “burrowed in” to the civil service. This means political appointees who have managed to become permanent staffers, which can politicize the bureaucracy.
There are plenty of good bureaucrats out there, but if even a small percentage of the two million federal workers are working against him, that’s a lot of resistance he’ll face daily.
Independent agencies and lifetime jobs for executive assistants aren’t in the Constitution, but elections are. Voters chose a Republican president, and they deserve a Republican administration.
To make that happen, Trump needs to start firing people. And he should do it on Day 1.
Mick Mulvaney was White House chief of staff in President Trump’s first term.
