‘Do You Support the President?’

The Loyalty Test No One Saw Coming (But Every Fed Should Pay Attention To)

June 04, 2025

The Trump administration is floating a proposal to ask federal job applicants essay-style questions aimed at evaluating their "alignment with executive orders."

Translation: “Do you support the president’s agenda?”

Critics are calling it a loyalty test. Supporters say it’s about "merit and mission."

Either way, it’s a major shift in how federal hiring works.

And it's raising questions not just about hiring, but about career progression, morale, and even the long-term viability of neutral public service.

If You're Already In the System, Why Should You Care?

Because this isn't just about new applicants.

Here’s what this actually signals for current federal employees and retirees-in-waiting:

  • Promotions could be politicized. When policy loyalty becomes part of hiring, it doesn’t stay confined to entry-level roles.

  • Schedule F could return—quietly. Remember the 2020 push to reclassify thousands of federal jobs as “at-will”? This smells like a soft reboot.

  • Your retirement trajectory might shift. If agency cultures get more political, some feds may bail early—or get squeezed out before hitting key retirement milestones. Miss one year of high-3 earnings? That’s a lifelong cut to your pension.

What You Can Do Now

This isn’t the time for panic—but it is time to do a pulse check:

1) Review your MRA + service credit status. Know how close you are to walking away on your terms.

2) Revisit your TSP exposure. If things turn volatile, you want a portfolio that’s built for agility—not anxiety.

3) Think beyond the job title. If your position becomes a political football, would your retirement plan still hold?

One Final Thought

The greatest threat to your retirement isn’t inflation, or market swings, or even politics.

It’s being caught off guard.

Federal employees aren’t supposed to pass political litmus tests. But if the rules change, your smartest move is to prepare like they already have.

Best,
—Federal Wealth Retirement