2024 GOP candidates appear to back Trump’s proposal to purge federal workers

03 August 2022

Several Republican lawmakers and presidential hopefuls have verbalized their support of former President Donald Trump's proposed plan to make it easier to terminate workers employed with the federal government.

Speaking to Axios, a number of lawmakers and Republican hopefuls weighed in with their take on the initiative. The responses indicate the significance of Trump's influence over the political party.

Regardless of whether or not he wins the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, the next Republican president may still carry out his proposed initiative — one that would drastically reshape the U.S. federal government.

Among those who shared their opinion on the reinstatement of Schedule F, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are advocating for the initiative.

"With our security and economy at risk, we need effective institutions. Americans don't want bureaucrats or ideologues; we want competence," Pompeo said.

Cruz also offered similar remarks. "I support creative efforts to root out the deep state... I think there is enormous abuse from radicals who are burrowed into our agencies. And I'm glad to see that the Trump White House was thinking creatively about how to combat that. I think they should have done more sooner," Cruz said.

"I think any Republican president should work to ensure that there are appointees in the administration who will carry out the policy priorities that the American people voted for," the Texas lawmaker added. "Taking on the entrenched bureaucracy is incredibly important."

While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) did not offer direct remarks on the Schedule F proposal, they did suggest they'd be open to that option. DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw weighed in with the news outlet saying, "to be frank, this is simply not an issue here like it might be in D.C."

She added, "I would add, however, that Governor DeSantis has spoken out many times against unaccountable power-mad bureaucrats like [NIAID Director Dr. Anthony] Fauci because their agenda is harmful for Americans and would destroy Florida if it were implemented here."

Hawley also weighed in saying, "I would be open to considering [Schedule F]. … I think the bureaucracy is way too big and generally unaccountable to anybody."

"The bureaucracy runs this government, Congress does not does not run the government. … They are unelected, and they are really insulated from democratic accountability. … I think it's a huge, huge problem. Constitutionally I think it's a problem and just from a workability standpoint. Is [Schedule F] the right solution to that? I don't know. But I certainly think that it's asking the right question."

However, there is one opposing view on the Republican side. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) has made it clear that he does not support the idea of another Trump term.

"This is another unneeded distraction ahead of a critically important election," Hogan told Axios. "While Americans are hurting, Republicans should be talking about reducing the cost of living, getting our economy back on track, and stopping violent crime, not harkening back to the dark days of the end of 2020."

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