Former President Donald Trump is reportedly outlining sweeping plans to overhaul the federal government if he secures a return to the White House, including the deportation of millions of immigrants, abolishing government agencies, and replacing tens of thousands of workers with loyalists, according to a report by The Columbian on Friday, February 16, 2024.
Despite liberal organizations expressing confidence in President Joe Biden’s victory, they are quietly working on contingency plans to limit Trump’s power if he were to win a second term. Activists, advocates, and legal experts are pushing for new federal rules to restrain presidential power and safeguard Biden’s accomplishments.
One effort includes the Office of Personnel Management’s proposed rule against reclassifying workers to make it more challenging to terminate them, aiming to prevent a future administration, potentially under Trump, from easily removing employees.
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Michael Linden, a former White House official under Biden, acknowledges the limitations of these efforts, stating that there’s no “magic bullet” to prevent a future president from implementing damaging policies. However, he believes the Biden administration is taking the potential threat seriously and taking action to mitigate it.
Norm Eisen, a former ethics counselor to President Barack Obama, suggests that Biden issue executive orders to limit the use of the military domestically, countering Trump’s potential deployment of troops for issues like border security or crime rates in Democratic-run cities.
Central to Trump’s plans is the ability to remove government workers and replace them with loyalists. Although Biden revoked Trump’s attempt to reclassify federal employees under “Schedule F,” Trump has indicated he would reinstate it if reelected, potentially leading to the removal of thousands of federal employees.
Conservative groups, such as the Heritage Foundation, are also preparing for a potential Trump second term by strategizing on how to dismiss employees to make room for Trump appointees. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, expressed a desire to see “destruction” in the government, signaling a willingness to remove employees and repurpose government buildings for private industry.
While the White House is reluctant to discuss a potential second Trump term, advocates and organizations are taking proactive steps to limit Trump’s power and protect the federal government from significant upheaval. The battle over the future of the federal government is likely to intensify as the 2024 election approaches, with both sides preparing for a potentially contentious campaign.
