Former President Trump, in remarks prepared to be delivered in Florida on Saturday night, plans to tout his “Schedule F” executive order – and call on Congress to give the president more power to fire federal workers, according to reports. extracts obtained by Axios.
- The former president’s new blitz against federal employees follows a two-part Axios investigative series by Jonathan Swan, ‘Inside Trump ’25’, revealing his allies’ plans to make the issue a centerpiece s he wins a second term.
Why is this important: By directly increasing Schedule F, Trump is amplifying the plans of well-funded outside allies to purge career civil service if he returns to power.
- “To drain the swamp, we have to burn the swamp,” Trump plans to say at a Turning Point USA event in Tampa, according to the excerpts.
- In the speech, Trump will say he wants new presidential powers to “ensure that any corrupt, incompetent, or unhelpful bureaucrat can be told, ‘You’re fired!'”
Between the lines: Schedule F, which was repealed by President Biden on his second day in office, was virtually unknown to the general public. Now Trump is trying to make it a key line of applause as speculation grows that he will announce a 2024 race.
The context: Trump’s top allies, according to the Axios series, are preparing to radically reshape the federal government if he is re-elected. They plan to purge potentially thousands of civil servants and fill career positions with people loyal to him and his “America first” ideology, people involved in the talks told Swan.
- Another speech pundit said, “With Schedule F,” I have taken executive action to enable the firing of federal employees who circumvent our democracy to advance “awakening” and corruption.
- “We now need Congress to institute historic reforms to permanently empower the President to root out the ‘deep state’.”
Read Jonathan Swan’s series on Trump’s complex planning for a second term, including the more intense use of Schedule F powers: Part 1…Part 2…Schedule F Explainer.