Loyalty test: Trump’s new hiring rule

Shafaq News/ The Trump administration is implementing new hiring criteria for key government positions, with loyalty to the president emerging as a decisive factor, the Washington Post revealed on Sunday.

Candidates for intelligence and national security roles are reportedly being asked whether they believe Trump won the 2020 presidential election and how they view the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the process, the newspaper stated that “these questions serve as a litmus test for assessing allegiance to Trump.”

Applicants for intelligence positions have been asked in direct interviews to respond “yes” or “no” to questions such as, “Was January 6 an inside job?” and “Was the 2020 election stolen?” Those who did not provide the desired answers were not selected, though it remains unclear whether other factors influenced hiring decisions.

This loyalty-based screening extends beyond political appointees. Current government employees seeking transfers or promotions are also facing scrutiny over their past statements, political affiliations, and positions on Trump’s claims about the election. Political donations, social media activity, and personal views on Trump’s leadership have reportedly been reviewed as part of the selection process.

Former officials warn that ideological tests could undermine the intelligence community’s integrity, heightening concerns over political influence. “We want career officials to interpret intelligence and enforce the laws in a neutral way, without any partisan preference,” John Bellinger III, a former White House National Security Council lawyer under George W. Bush, told the newspaper.

The FBI has reportedly been ordered to hand over lists of personnel involved in January 6 investigations, while senior leaders at the agency have been removed or reassigned. Similar actions have not yet been taken at the CIA or NSA, though their workforces have been offered voluntary buyouts. Intelligence officials are watching closely as CIA Director John Ratcliffe and DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard, both Trump allies, take on new roles.

At a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, was asked about the future of agents involved in January 6 cases. He pledged that there would be no retribution, despite reports of FBI leadership shake-ups already taking place.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the loyalty test allegations, while an agency official stated, “We have no knowledge of that.”

Some intelligence professionals argue that requiring loyalty to a political figure, rather than to the nation, violates the core principles of their work. “I don’t understand how somebody could [answer untruthfully] and do their job,” a former senior intelligence official told the Washington Post.

Historians have compared this hiring approach to past political purges, including McCarthy-era loyalty investigations. However, Yale University historian Beverly Gage noted a key difference, “At least those investigations were about loyalty to the country, not to a particular politician.”

Concerns over political influence in intelligence agencies are not new, but experts say they have intensified under Trump. Jeffrey Rogg, an intelligence historian at the University of South Florida, pointed to a shift in public perception, “Whereas Democrats historically were suspicious of the FBI, now it’s Republicans who are. And it’s due to political events in the US and the perception that intelligence agencies have taken sides.”