The establishment media is having a freak-out over President Donald Trump’s new “Merit Hiring Plan” for jobs in the federal government, lamenting the new “essay” requirements — which have a set maximum of just 200 words — and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards.
The new hiring policies, released by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on May 29, completely nixed “discriminatory ‘equity’ quotas” in accordance with Trump’s January 20 executive order, “Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service.”
According to OPM, the DEI hiring process used during the Biden administration “too often resulted in the hiring of unfit, unskilled bureaucrats.”
The former chief DEI officer of the State Department, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, said in April 2023: “to be considered for promotion at the Department of State, you must be able to document what you are doing to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and accessibility. This is how you are judged for promotion.”
The new hiring memo states: “Do not use statistics on race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, or the broader concept of ‘underrepresentation’ of certain groups, in any hiring, recruiting, retention or promotion decisions, or in the design or implementation of any technical or alternative assessments.”
In addition to making sure federal jobs do not go to unqualified people due to diversity quotas, the administration highlighted that the jobs should go to “patriotic” Americans, and included four questions to be answered during the application process:
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
The packet even noted that responses “cannot exceed 200 words per question” in order to “reduce the burden on candidates.”
Despite the seemingly straightforward and fair application process, anti-Trump outlets feigned outrage.
New York Magazine‘s headline reads: “Want a Federal Job? Get Ready to Pledge Allegiance to Trump.”
Newsweek reported that “federal employees must now write essays praising Trump’s policies,” and cited a U.K. anti-Trump political analyst who called the new policies the mark of an “authoritarian regime.”
According to Politico‘s take on the new standards, “Trump and his allies have railed against civil servants, accusing them of working to undermine the president’s policy priorities.”
Axios cited “Trump administration critics” who reportedly said the packet “looks like a presidential loyalty test.”
The outlet also falsely characterized some of the policies described in the memo as being “in line with typical DEI practices,” arguing that the standardized set of questions somehow falls into that category.
The Independent argued that the new screening process is “setting off alarm bells” in the minds of “good-government advocates.”
In a statement to Breitbart News, OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover said the Merit Hiring Plan “ensures all candidates are evaluated based on their skills, knowledge, commitment to public service, and respect for the Constitution.”
“Asking candidates for a couple of examples of policies they are excited to help implement allows candidates to introduce themselves to hiring managers and agency leadership and spotlight why they want to work for the government,” she explained. “It is not a ‘loyalty test,’ but a normal interview question. This administration is laser focused on restoring accountability and rigor in federal hiring, not political favoritism.”
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
