Federal job applicants required to write MAGA loyalty essays

confirmed Importance 6/10 ~1 min read 4 sources 3 actors

Executive Power Expansion Federal Workforce Capture

In May 2025, the Trump administration implemented a controversial ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ requiring federal job applicants at GS-5 and above to write essays about Trump’s policies. Applicants must describe how they would advance specific executive orders, effectively creating an ideological screening process for civil service positions.

Sources & Citations

[1] Federal applicants face loyalty testing · Mar 1, 2025 Tier 2

[2] Trump Administration Makes New Federal Employees Write Essays to Prove MAGA Loyalty · Jun 2, 2025 Tier 2

[3] New Federal Employees Must Now Write Essays Praising Trump's Policies · Jun 2, 2025 Tier 2

[4] Lynch-OPMs hiring plan includes blatant loyalty test · Jun 2, 2025 Tier 2

Tiers Tier 1 court records & gov docs · Tier 2 established outlets · Tier 3 regional & specialty press · Tier 4 opinion or single-source. Methodology →

Cite this entry

The Cascade Ledger. “Federal job applicants required to write MAGA loyalty essays.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, March 1, 2025. https://capturecascade.org/event/2025-03-01--loyalty-testing-regime/