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President Donald Trump has begun his second term with a major purge of over 1,000 Biden administration appointees, targeting officials he views as disloyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Some shit you should know before you read: Before Trump won the election, he made promises during his campaign trail to fire thousands of Biden administration appointees and career federal workers as part of his pledge to dismantle what he and his allies refer to as the “deep state.” Advisers close to Trump, including those appearing on podcasts and conservative media platforms, repeatedly said that eliminating entrenched “bureaucrats” would be essential to reshaping Washington and advancing Trump’s agenda. Many of these advisers argued that sweeping personnel changes would be necessary to ensure loyalty within the federal government and prevent resistance to his policies. However, legal experts have warned that such actions could face significant legal challenges, as many federal employees have civil service protections that make it difficult to fire them without cause.
What’s going on now: In an announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said that his Administration is already moving to remove over 1,000 Biden-era presidential appointees as part of his pledge to reshape the federal government. On his first day back in office, he announced the dismissal of four prominent figures: retired General Mark Milley, celebrity chef José Andrés, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and former diplomat Brian Hook. Trump stated, “Let this serve as Official Notice of Dismissal for these 4 individuals, with many more coming soon,” ending his post with, “YOU’RE FIRED!” He described the effort as a necessary step to eliminate individuals who he believes are not aligned with his vision to “Make America Great Again.”
Among the first to be fired, Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was removed from his position on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. Milley, who had been openly critical of Trump and labeled him a “wannabe dictator,” had recently received a preemptive pardon from Joe Biden before leaving office. Trump’s decision to dismiss Milley follows years of animosity, including Trump’s past suggestions that Milley should face severe punishment for his alleged back-channel communications with China during Trump’s first term.
José Andrés, a renowned chef and humanitarian, was dismissed from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition despite previously submitting his resignation at the end of his two-year term. Andrés and Trump have a long history of clashes, including a legal dispute after Andrés pulled out of opening a restaurant in Trump’s DC hotel.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was fired from her advisory role on the President’s Export Council, where she had advised on international trade.
Brian Hook, a former envoy to Iran during Trump’s first term, was removed from the Wilson Center for Scholars, a global affairs think tank. These high-profile firings mark the beginning of what Trump has described as a sweeping purge to realign the federal workforce with his Administration’s agenda.
