Trump paves the way to dismiss employees who do not support his vision for government

The Trump administration moves forward with a new regulation that could drastically change the workings of the federal bureaucracy: a revamped version of "Schedule F." The measure will allow reclassifying up to 50,000 public employees as "at-will" workers, i.e., without traditional civil service protections.

This initiative, now called "Schedule Policy/Career," is being pushed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and seeks to facilitate the removal of officials deemed disloyal, ineffective or directly contrary to presidential policies.

"Unelected career bureaucrats should be held accountable to the agenda Americans vote for," a White House official said in defending the new classification.

Origin, repeal and return of Schedule F

The idea is not new. Trump had already created this administrative figure during his first term. However, upon arriving at the White House, President Joe Biden immediately repealed that measure. Now, with Trump back in power, Schedule F returns with another name, but with the same objective: to break with what he and his allies have called "the deep state" which, they claim, sabotaged his policies from within the government itself.

Structural change with wide-ranging implications

This new regulation is part of a larger effort led by key figures in Trump's team, such as Stephen Miller and Russ Vought, to redesign the state apparatus and reduce its size. In parallel, massive staff and budget cuts promoted by the so-called DOGE team continue.

In this context, the return of Schedule F not only reopens a debate on the role of the state and the neutrality of the public service but also marks a new phase in the former president's attempt to reshape the federal government in his image and likeness.