9 Ways for Trump to Beat the Resistance

While we celebrate President Trump’s successful inauguration, we must pause to ask, “Will he be able to accomplish his mission to make America great, free, prosperous, safe, and healthy again?”

In December 2023, pollster Scott Rasmussen sounded an alarm about our elections when he told us that 20% of Americans admitted they mailed in absentee ballots fraudulently.  This could have been a major cause of Trump’s “loss” in 2020.

Last month, Rasmussen’s company, RMG Research, released another earth-shattering poll, concluding, “An astonishing 42% of the Washington, D.C. federal managers said they intend to fight the potential second term for President Donald Trump.”

Could these Deep State bureaucrats derail Trump’s success?

From NewsX:

Democratic-leaning managers are particularly opposed [to Trump’s policies], with nearly three quarters of them planning to take on Trump’s administration. The survey reveals a deepening divide in the federal workforce especially at the higher income and senior levels.

The most important finding of the poll is the chasm within the federal workforce. Federal government managers, including top employees in D.C., are sharply divided. While 89% of Republican managers said they would carry out Trump’s policies, only 17% of Democratic managers said they would obey presidential orders that they considered to be bad policy.

In contrast, 64% of Democratic respondents said they would ignore such orders and follow their own judgment. [snip]

But the American public seems less than sympathetic to bureaucratic defiance. ... Fifty-four percent of Main Street Americans think federal employees who disobey presidential orders should be fired. ... Of Republicans ... 74% think federal employees who flout legal orders should be fired.

Federal employees’ political donations back this up.  “Federal employees have donated at least $1.8 million to the major candidates for president in 2020, with nearly 60% of that total going to former Vice President Joe Biden.”

The more important factor is the ratio of Trump to Biden support in each agency.

Notice above which agencies are strongly for Trump (DOD and DHS), which are even (USDA, Energy, HUD, and SBA), and which favor Biden, (Treasury, DOJ, DOI, Labor, HHS, DOT, Ed, VA, and EPA).

In the real world, a business is composed of the owner or CEO, upper management, and employees.  The CEO gives management a plan, and they direct their employees to accomplish it.  If Brian Niccol of Starbucks wants a new coffee flavor, “Pistachio Mocha Peppermint,” he tells his New Beverage Innovation and Development Lab to come up with a recipe: “3 pumps Pistachio, 2 pumps Mocha, and 1 pump Peppermint.”  After testing and approval, it is rolled out to the stores.

But what if local baristas unilaterally decide to follow their own opinions?  Some want the ratio to be 1, 2, 3; others choose 4, 1, 1.  What if some don’t like pistachio and choose almond or even lime?

In the real world, an employee who doesn’t follow orders is fired.

If a DHS employee is allowed to ignore a lawful order from Kristi Noem, the Trump Train goes right off the tracks.  And a single disloyal employee can leak sensitive information about a new operation that could cost the lives of officers in the field.

In the past, government employees have often worked internally to oppose new administrations.  They would continue policies from the previous administration or actively push back against new directives.

Is this the left’s ace up the sleeve?  To rely on loyalists within the government to deny, delay, and obstruct everything Trump orders?  Just recently we heard that the guards won’t release the pardoned J6 prisoners.

Can disloyal or disobedient workers be fired?

The process of firing federal government employees is governed by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.  Employees can be dismissed only for “just cause” — misconduct, incompetence, or failure to meet performance standards.  Employees are entitled to due process: they must be notified of the reasons for their termination and have an opportunity to appeal.

This process of investigation through dismissal can take significant time and money depending on the infraction.  And many federal employees belong to unions, which have negotiated terms regarding discipline and termination.  Union members typically have access to legal representation when facing disciplinary actions, which can further complicate the firing process.

If employees are hard to fire, could President Trump eliminate all or parts of an agency?

Trump can propose budget cuts, reorganization, or the elimination of federal agencies, but the creation and abolition of entire departments typically requires an act of Congress, where the margin of control is razor-thin.  If a department were to be cut, employees would be subject to termination, but employment laws would still have to be followed.

So how can President Trump ensure that his plans are carried out?

1. It will be vital for the president and his Cabinet members to clearly communicate written policies and expectations to bureaucratic agencies, detailing specific goals and timelines.

2. Mandatory training on new policies and procedures will ensure that employees understand their roles and responsibilities.  This can reduce instances of insubordination or incompetence and facilitate disciplinary action if needed.

3. Regular performance reviews can hold individual employees accountable for their actions.  Their work must be monitored closely, perhaps even using A.I.

4. During COVID, many federal agencies shifted to remote work and established telework policies.  A report last month from the Public Buildings Reform Board uncovered federal agencies using just 12% of the space in their headquarters buildings.  Trump can announce the end of all COVID policies and require all employees to return to work.  Any who refuse to comply can be terminated.

5. Trump should embark on a public media blitz to generate support to eliminate wasteful departments and reduce union control of government agencies overseeing areas of critical importance.

6. To reduce spending, any government buildings not being used at 100% can have their employees relocated.  Some D.C. offices can move to less costly cities, and the buildings can be sold.  Perhaps Trump can conduct a photo op tour inside a vacant federal building.

7. Barack Obama used his regulatory agencies and executive orders to push through policies that could not gain traction in Congress.  For example, the EPA implemented stricter emissions standards, and the Department of Education made progressive changes to educational policy.  Although there is no definitive evidence that Obama systematically identified and fired conservative employees, cultures within certain agencies favored progressive ideologies.  Those who disagreed often encountered a hostile work environment, and many resigned.  His administration encouraged “diversity” in hiring, which added even more liberal employees.  President Trump just announced that he is repealing all policies that favor social considerations over actual qualifications to perform the work along with a total ban on new regulations.

8. Trump can freeze all hiring and reassign existing workers to fill any vacancies.

9. Leakers, especially of sensitive information that could harm federal agents, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Although the RINO/left/Deep State’s efforts at impeachment, lawfare, election fraud, and assassination have all failed, we mustn’t let the administrative state and their rogue actors derail President Trump and his efforts to restore America.

Jack Gleason is a conservative commonsense political writer.  His email is [email protected], and his always-free Substack is jackgleason.substack.com.