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Politico: Federal Employees Are Sweating a Trump Comeback

October 16, 2024 | | Print Article

Federal employees are reportedly “sweating” a return of former President Donald Trump to the White House.

In a new report, Politico notes that “civil servants across the government are worried they might soon get fired” and many federal employees are checking their parachutes in preparation to eject should the Republican presidential nominee be victorious in November’s election.

“People are worried, but anybody who has half a brain is existentially afraid for the safety of democracy,” one employee at the National Science Foundation told the outlet, adding that currently “people are very concerned with their day-to-day jobs” and are “working to make sure they can get a lot of good done now.”

The nail-biting comes amid Trump’s campaign promises to take on the “deep state” and to target certain federal agencies if he returns to the White House.

“Climate, clean energy, and conservation programs scaled up and burnished with cash during the Biden administration are certain to be lightning rods for Trump and his team,” Politico reported. “That’s looming large over energy and environmental workers, who are feeling the pressure on a professional level as they’re hustling to get Biden’s priorities wrapped up in the coming months. It’s also hitting them personally as they fear they might soon be out of a job.”

“We have stopped doing any money-spending things because what if we’re without jobs in the next year?” a panicked Interior Department worker said. “We need all the savings we can get.”

Nicole Cantello, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, the union representing workers in EPA’s regional office in Chicago, claimed staff is afraid they will be “specifically targeted during a Trump administration in the future.” This has prompted a “significant amount of movement of employees out of EPA into what would be called safer agencies.”

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The report pointed to fears over the conservative policy plan known as Project 2025, despite the fact that Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from the more than 900-page document.

In addition, the fears over Trump’s return have sparked a sense of urgency in getting President Joe Biden’s agenda items completed before they are potentially shut down with a GOP president.

“We are seeing an increase as a union in overtime and comp time given out for people who are working more than 40 hours a week,” Cantello said. That includes work on things like the massive climate law known as the Inflation Reduction Act, she said, including air and water rules “that the agency is trying to get out before a possible Trump administration takes office.”

Cantello noted that employees at the EPA feel “that we’re all running to catch the train right now before it leaves the station.”

The workers got little sympathy on social media where X users seemed to think their panic was a telling sign.

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Frieda Powers
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