OPM required federal job applicants nationwide to write essays advancing Trump's policy priorities to be considered for hire
On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a "Merit Hiring Plan" memo — jointly signed by White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and then-Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell — directing that applicants for federal civil-service jobs at GS-5 and above write an essay identifying a Trump executive order or policy priority and explain how they would help implement it if hired. The requirement was ultimately applied to more than 70,000 federal job postings, spanning nonpartisan roles from air traffic controllers to crane operators to nuclear materials couriers.