Trump is clearly not happy with many of his key hires during his first term in office, regularly slamming former lackeys like Attorney General Bill Barr, Chief of Staff John Kelly, and National Security Adivser John Bolton. Axios reported in 2022 that Trump planned to ensure the loyalty not just of his high-profile appointments, should he win in 2024, but of thousands of mid-level staffers working throughout the government. Political views, rather than credentials or experience, are driving the process.
The outlet reported on Monday that the effort is well underway — and it’s sophisticated. The campaign is contracting “smart, experienced people, many with very unconventional and elastic views of presidential power and traditional rule of law,” according to Axios, to ensure new hires are fully onboard with the brutal policy proposals Trump has floated. It’s also using AI to vet potentail staffers, including by srubbing their social media.
We did away with this a long time ago, it used to be called the “spoils” system. As in to the victor go the spoils. The end was bipartisan as it’s a terrible way to run a government unless you want invite incompetence and corruption.
Ending it made sense from the pure cynical pov. If you can’t award favors your opponent can’t either. If you can’t do something you can’t be held responsible for not doing it.