Trump wages war against his own government

Washington – Less than two weeks after his period, President Donald Trump wages war against his own government and creates a deep sense of fear in the federal workforce – and recipients of federal assistance – as he tests the boundaries of his power to change the scope, function and Non -partic nature of the government without congress.

Primarily using two slightly known agencies-Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personal Management Trump has tried to stifle financing for a wide range of domestic and foreign aid programs, made it easier to shoot Tens of thousands of federal workers and launched a campaign to push more to resign.

Two federal judges have blocked domestic spending freezing, and in the light of the public scream, Trump lifted a omb -memo implementing it last week – but the underlying executive order remains in place where the federal workers are responsible for adopting it , who left to choose between mandates from the courts and from the president.

In conversations with NBC News, almost two dozen federal workers described a climate of fear, confusion, skepticism and anger over federal agencies in the past two weeks. A number of officials described the feeling that they were actively traced and monitored in a way that was foreign before Trump’s return to power.

At a time when Americans’ confidence in the government has been eroding for decades-long most people say they don’t trust Washington to do the right thing to do with the Gallup voting-Trump is in the process of long-term Republicans Views of how to shrink and restructure the federal footprint. But critics say that taking an ideologically fool to the government will make it less effective, less effective and less protected from partical influence.

Nearly 60 employees of the US Agency for International Development were placed on administrative leave after Trump issued an order, is made without Congress’s adoption of a law. The agency’s site became dark Saturday.

“The organizing idea behind what they are doing is that Trump wants to be king,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-MD. “He will not be responsible to the law and the American people are being injured.”

Van Hollen added that the actions could make it harder for Trump to collect enough votes to avoid a government extinguishing six weeks from now.

“It also raises the question of whether we can continue in any good faith” in a consumption measure, he said. “I mean, we are reviewing these negotiations to get a compromise, but the president of cherry picks what he likes and discards the rest.”

Trump allies in Congress, just as a beginner late. Jim Banks, R-in., Says Trump is simply fulfilling his campaign-trail lifters.

“The American people voted overwhelming to President Trump partly because of his promise to eradicate government waste and bring back common sense to the White House,” Banks said in a statement to NBC News. “With a national debt of $ 36 trillion, I am pleased that his administration is working to make sure that any tax dollar is used responsibly on the agenda he promised.”

It all constitutes a great effort that the public will reward Trump and Republicans for an oblique approach to forming the federal government, even if it takes money out of the pockets of voters or state and local government functions they trust. The person facing the least risk is Trump, who is not constitutionally eligible to drive for re -election, says his allies.

“So far, the procedure has been phenomenal,” a Republican operative said.

But the operative said there was “some concern” over the layoffs on Friday for the top six FBI officials – which suggested that they may be more problematic for Trump and his administration on the outside than within the government.

“When it comes to setback, (Trump) really shouldn’t care,” this person said. “He does not drive again, and slimming down the size of the federal workforce is part of his mandate. It will ultimately be up to (vice president) JD (Vance) (and) current established companies to defend the actions of this administration if there is a setback in the future. “

In some cases, Trump is not waiting for wear. In addition to rejecting the FBI leaders, he fired as many as two dozen prosecutors of the Ministry of Justice, who worked with “Capitol Siege” cases -those who involved defendants from the 6th of January attack at Congress. Trump pardoned most of the people convicted of January 6-related crimes and commuted the judgments of others.

Federal workers have been notified that they are facing “unfavorable consequences” if they do not report on colleagues whose work touches “diversity, justice and inclusion” – and quotes “common sense” rather than evidence, Trump accused a lethal Midair – Collision between a commercial regional jet and a military helicopter at “DEI” hires in the Federal Aviation Administration.

Trump’s words and actions are a full -scale effort to demoralize and scare the workforce, say some of the federal employees who spoke with NBC News.

Trump has authorized billionaire Elon Musk, the volunteer leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and his allies to offer “buyouts” who would pay federal officials through September in exchange for their resignation. Workers have received almost daily communication about the “postponed resignation” setting directly from OPS and from the Agency’s staff managers at the request of OP.

On Wednesday, employees of the Environmental Protection Agency were reminded in an E email that they can be fired at any time if they have worked for the government for less than a year.

“If you want the government to function, you would not attack federal employees daily with psychological warning,” said a long -time leader in the federal government. “You want them to show up motivated. This is not the way to do it. “

Noah Peters, senior adviser at OM, who was the only person copied by the name of an E email to the Agency HR Directors on the exposed severance program did not answer a number of questions.

A USAID -Officer said that colleagues were “drawn” by the new OM -E -mail system, which apparently allows the federal agency to contact all federal employees directly.

“All communication from OPT, used to go directly through the agency, and then the agencies would spread it,” this person said. “Many people are kind of drawn by it because it has never happened before. And then it’s like, are you trying to control me? Are you trying to monitor my access? What are you trying to do? “

This person added that although the federal government needs change, it is trying to force through massive changes and disturbances not so quickly not improve the official.

“Change takes time,” this person said. “There can be positive effects if this was made smart. And many people would welcome it. But this is just fear-monging. It’s nothing more than (to be) scary. … That’s not how it works. I mean, if you are Elon Musk, it works like that. But that’s not how it works in government. “

At the US Forest Service, an official said a higher-up said in response to questions and concerns about the changing directives just to maintain a low profile.

This person “told me that if (they) were in my shoes, the best thing for me would be to put low, keep my head down and just do my job,” the employee said in Forest Service. “As I can understand. However, that’s not really a good answer. “

Republicans said there was little risk in Trump’s actions, considering that officials are considered unsympathetic to the wider population, while Trump does not have to seek office again and personally face any potential blowback from voters.

“Not to be Glib, but I think his goal is exactly what he said it is – to drain the swamp,” said a Trump Ally. “Literally a clean house in career bureaucrats is in there. I think the risk is low – very low.

“Any service interruption will be related to direct payments to people, and it’s mostly automated,” this person added. “And if we reduce the amount used that is essentially waste on transfer payments, I’m not sure many will feel it.”

Rep. Riley Moore, rw.va., said that Trump’s efforts to surround the federal workforce is about adapting it directly with his and his movement’s worldview.

“What President Trump is looking to do is maximize the effectiveness and results of US taxpayer and their tax dollars used to support our society with certainty and important services,” Moore said. “At the same time, the president seeks to rectify the mission declaration and indicative principles of these departments and agencies to surround them to an America First Orthodoxy.”

But the Neera tooth, who was President Joe Bite’s domestic political adviser, said there is a tension between the anti-government crusaders in Trump’s circle and the voters who put him over the top in November. It was reflected in the setback he received from the OMB memo, such as many officials, legislators and recipients of federal assistance interpreted to demand a break in financing scholarships to everything from local fire departments and police programs to health centers.

“The basic challenge for their coalition is that it is people in the working class and the billionaire Libertarians, and they are in direct conflict,” the tooth said. “I don’t think all the white working class and Latino-worker class people who voted for him are like,” you know what? I really want to lose my health care. ” ‘

Whether Trump can hobbe the federal workforce and cut the trillion of dollars from the budget without hurting his own voters – and the Republicans who represent them in Congress – to see.

Kush Desai, a spokesman for the White House, said Trump will be able to do just that.

“President Trump received a resounding mandate to streamline our Gargantuian government to better meet the needs of the American people,” Desai said. “He will use any handle of executive and legislative power to deliver.”