6 days ago
Fact Check: Unpacking Trump admin's new hiring plan for federal workers — including question about implementing presidential policy
Claim:
U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Merit Hiring Plan' asks applicants for federal government jobs to write an essay naming their favorite Trump policy or executive order and how they would implement it.
Rating:
Context:
The specific question in the new 'Merit Hiring Plan' for federal employees states: 'How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.'
In late May 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration announced a "Merit Hiring Plan" for the federal bureaucracy. Soon after its announcement, critics claimed the hiring process was actually not merit-based but a "loyalty test" to the Trump administration in which applicants would be asked to write essays about their favorite Trump policy.
According to a Facebook post from the account Alt National Park Service:
Loyalty tests have officially arrived in the federal hiring process. The Trump administration just unveiled a so-called "Merit Hiring Plan", which includes a quiz asking job applicants to name their favorite Trump policy or executive order. Yes, seriously. You're expected to write an essay explaining your "loyalty" to Trump.
But here's the truth: the oath federal workers take is to the Constitution, not to a president, not to a political party, and definitely not to a list of executive orders.
If you're applying, remember: it's your choice how to respond 😉. Once hired the law requires you to swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It does not require personal loyalty to Trump.
We looked closely at the U.S. Office for Personnel Management's (OPM) memorandum titled "Merit Hiring Plan" and found specific language asking applicants to write an essay detailing administration policies that were "significant" to them and executive orders they would implement. While the question does not overtly ask people to declare their loyalty, it does ask them to discuss Trump's policies that they would support and implement. As such, we rate this claim as true.
We reached out to the White House and the OPM to learn more about their reasoning behind this question in the application process. We will update this story if we get more information.
On May 29, 2025, the OPM released the "Merit Hiring Plan" directing federal agencies to add four "short, free-response" essay questions in their hiring practices. One question stated, as seen on the Chief Human Capital Officers Council (CHCOCs) — a federal agency responsible for coordinating human resources departments — web page:
How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
The above question asks applicants for the federal workforce to select from Trump's specific policies and executive orders that they would choose to implement, thus asking them to wade into politically contentious territory. Trump's executive orders have been polarizing, many resulting in court orders to block them from being implemented and 258 lawsuits challenging the administration's actions.
The introductory paragraph to the questions note that — the hiring portal for the federal government — will amend its standard language for job announcements to emphasize "efficiency" in the hiring process.
The four questions all apply to job vacancies "graded at GS-05 or above," referring to specialized positions that require at least a college degree. The application's other prompts are:
How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.
The same Merit Hiring Plan also calls for hiring "patriotic Americans" through their list of priorities (emphasis ours):
Reforming the Federal recruitment process to ensure that only the most talented, capable and patriotic Americans are hired to the Federal service;
Implementing skills-based hiring, eliminating unnecessary degree requirements, and requiring the use of rigorous, job-related assessments to ensure candidates are selected based on their merit and competence, not their skin color or academic pedigree;
Streamlining and improving the job application process; and
Reducing time-to-hire to under 80 days by emphasizing the use of talent pools and shared certificates and streamlining the background check process.
The Merit Hiring Plan is the implementation strategy of Trump's January 2025 executive order, titled, "Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service."
Critics of the Trump administration, including U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., called the above question a "loyalty test" to Trump. Lynch wrote in a letter to the OPM: "Every federal worker is legally required to take an oath of office that they will 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' The oath does not require federal workers to swear to protect and defend executive orders or policy initiatives."
The above questions are in line with those proposed by Project 2025, a conservative coalition's hiring plan for a Trump administration bureaucracy that we reported on in 2024. We found similar "loyalty tests" were part of Project 2025's proposal. We also learned during Obama's first term (January 2009 to January 2013) that his administration required extensive vetting of applicants for high-ranking, politically appointed positions. That process also included a questionnaire asking participants to elaborate on past public statements, social media posts and potential conflicts of interests, as well as share things about their personal lives, like whether they own guns.
In our reporting, we asked a former U.S. President Joe Biden aide about the Obama-era questionnaire. The aide said it was not comparable to Project 2025's system. The latter was a "loyalty test" to Trump, the aide said, while Obama's survey was more of a background check.
Bravender, Robin. "Trump Administration to Prioritize 'Patriotic Americans' for Federal Jobs." Politico, 30 May 2025, Accessed 4 June 2025.
Ibrahim, Nur and Aleksandra Wrona. "What to Know About Project 2025, the Pro-Trump Plan to Overhaul US Government." Snopes, 7 Nov. 2024, Accessed 4 June 2025.
Lynch, Stephen. Letter to Charles Ezell, OPM. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 2 June 2025, Accessed 4 June 2025.
Magtulis, Prinz. "How Trump Unleashed Executive Power." Reuters, 7 May 2025. Accessed 4 June 2025.
"Merit Hiring Plan." CHCOC. Accessed 4 June 2025.
"Reforming The Federal Hiring Process And Restoring Merit To Government Service." The White House, 21 Jan. 2025, Accessed 4 June 2025.
