Trump lays out plan to fire civil servants and replace them with loyalists

Former president Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it should be easier to “fire rogue bureaucrats” while speaking at the America First Agenda Summit in Washington, DC.

“We need to make it much easier to fire rogue bureaucrats who are deliberately undermining democracy or at a minimum just want to keep their jobs,” he said while affirming his intent to fire non-loyalist federal government employees if he wins a second term in office.

While speaking at the summit, he confirmed reports about his intent to implement “Schedule F” —  an executive order which would reassign governmental employees in a way that loosens their employment protections, making it easier to fire them and replace them with political appointees.

During his speech, he promised to “drain the swamp and root out the deep state.”

He continued: “Congress should pass historic reforms empowering the president to ensure that any bureaucrat who is corrupt, incompetent, or unnecessary for the job can be told – have you ever heard this – you’re fired! Get out.”

It was Mr Trump’s first appearance in Washington, DC, since leaving office.

He told the audience: “I am here before you to begin to talk about what we must do to achieve that future when we win a triumphant victory in 2022 and when a Republican president takes back the White House in 2024, which I strongly believe will happen.”

Before he lost the elections in 2020, the former president had signed the Schedule F executive order. Had he won, it could have led to a swift purge of federal employees. Joe Biden rescinded the order in his first few days in the White House.

“Washington will be an entirely different place” if he is elected for a second term, Mr Trump said.

“Our current appeals process for these rogue bureaucrats has three stages that each take five years – to fire someone who is doing a bad job takes 15 years,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is investigating Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The federal probe is part of the DOJ’s Jan 6 criminal investigation.