Trump's 'blatantly illegal' loyalty question for federal workers slapped down

Systemic Error Podcast · Sep 21, 2026 · 5m

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an observance ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, in Washington, D.C., September 11, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

The Loyalty Test Was the Policy

Patronage Disguised as Hiring

The Trump administration ordered federal agencies to ask job applicants how they would advance the president’s executive orders and policy priorities. The question appeared in more than 70,000 postings, including jobs for air traffic controllers, crane operators, and nuclear materials couriers, before U.S. District Judge…