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Lustration is the removal of public officials and judges who are associated with a tainted political regime. It has been used as a tool of transitional justice in newly independent and postconflict countries. Lustrating begins with vetting—a review of conduct and competency. Individuals associated with the discredited government, and credibly accused of corruption or human rights violations, are dismissed. Officials appointed on the basis of political connections may be removed or reassigned to lower-level positions. Lustration also can be implemented indirectly, as with lowering the mandatory retirement age for judges.
The federal bureaucracy is clearly an obstacle to the president’s agenda. But Trump has a plan this time around. Already, the administration has fired prosecutors involved in former President Joe Biden’s Jan. 6 witch hunt. It has also fired eight high-level FBI officials and is reportedly considering firing many thousands more. Additionally, Elon Musk has claimed that Trump agreed to “shut down” the U.S. Agency for International Development, which would put 10,000 civil servants out of job. And then we have the 30,000 or so federal employees who accepted Trump’s brilliant buyout offer.
But given that the federal government employs more than 2 million people, much work remains to be done. Thankfully, Trump signed an executive order on day one that not only reinstated his Schedule F executive order from 2020 but also expanded its scope. According to the National Treasury Employee Union, Trump’s executive order would affect far more federal employees than the 100,000 previously anticipated. It turns out he wasn’t kidding about draining the swamp.
No More Lip Service
Dealing with the bureaucracy isn’t the only policy field in which the second Trump term is superior to the first. Across the board — DEI, immigration, trans nonsense, foreign policy, you name it — this administration has proven its commitment to implementing a holistic platform that addresses the existential issues of our time. Long gone are the days of elected Republicans paying mere lip service to conservative ideals. Thanks to Trump, the new GOP knows the score — and it’s playing to win.
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