- Former President Donald Trump previewed some of his plans for a second term.
- In a speech at the America First Policy Institute, he called for a purge of federal employees.
- According to Axios, he had a plan in place to do so in 2020 – and could see it through in 2024.
Former President Donald Trump said the quiet part out loud again while speaking at an event, affirming his intent to purge non-loyalist federal government employees if he wins a second term in office.
While speaking at the America First Institute Summit on Tuesday, Trump confirmed reports about his intent to implement "Schedule F," an executive order which would reassign governmental employees in a way that loosens their employment protections, making it easier to fire them and replace them with political appointees.
"We need to make it much easier to fire rogue bureaucrats who are deliberately undermining democracy or at a minimum just want to keep their jobs," Trump said in the speech, promising to "drain the swamp and root out the deep state."
"Congress should pass historic reforms empowering the president to ensure that any bureaucrat who is corrupt, incompetent, or unnecessary for the job can be told – have you ever heard this – you're fired! Get out," Trump said.
According to Axios, the workings of the plan were largely kept secret across governmental channels and agencies until it was ready to be implemented.
Trump, whose appearance in DC on Tuesday was his first since leaving office, has not said whether he will run for president in 2024. However, he has repeatedly teased a run.
In his last months in office, Trump signed the Schedule F executive order which could have led to a swift purge of federal employees had he not lost the 2020 election. In President Joe Biden's first days in office, he rescinded the order.
"Washington will be an entirely different place," Trump said, referring to if he were to serve a second term. "Our current appeals process for these rogue bureaucrats has three stages that each take five years–to fire someone who is doing a bad job takes 15 years."