Unions Sue Over Trump's Federal Hiring Questions

Federal Unions Sue Over Trump's PoliticalFederal EssayHiring Questions

Published NOV 7 2025

Unions Sue Over Trump's Federal Hiring Questions

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Above: Signage outside the U.S. Office of Personnel Management headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3, 2025. Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Spin

The essay questions put forward as part of the Merit Hiring Plan are a key cornerstone of the Trump administration’s civil service reforms. Asking these questions helps ensure that only the candidates most committed to delivering for the American people are recruited into the federal workforce, furthering the president’s plan to create an efficient and values-driven government.

Trump U.S. Office of Personnel Management Trump White House

The president’s “Loyalty Question” is an affront to the civil service’s nonpartisan values and a violation of the First Amendment. Rather than hiring candidates based on their ability, the Trump administration would rather staff the federal workforce with its lackeys. To protect the integrity of the federal government, the courts must strike down this political takeover of the civil service.

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Metaculus Prediction

There's a 50% chance that at least 2.71 million people will work for the U.S. federal government in November 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.