Donald Trump is back in the White House, and he’s wasting no time making big moves. In a dramatic start, the new president has already begun purging over 1,000 Biden appointees from government positions. Late Monday night, Trump took to social media to announce the shake-up, starting with a fiery post on Truth Social.
Midnight purge begins
“Our first day in the White House is not over yet!” Trump wrote. “My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”
Trump didn’t hold back, adding, “Let this serve as Official Notice of Dismissal for these 4 individuals, with many more coming soon. YOU’RE FIRED!”
High-profile dismissals
The midnight post targeted four Biden appointees, signaling that the purge is just getting started. Among the first to go was celebrity chef Jose Andres and retired General Mark Milley. Milley, who served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Biden, has been a vocal critic of Trump. He once called Trump a “wannabe dictator.”
Trump, in turn, has accused Milley of treason, even suggesting execution for Milley’s back-channel talks with China. Hours after Trump’s inauguration, Milley’s portrait was removed from the Pentagon. The general was dismissed from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council despite receiving a preemptive pardon from Biden before leaving office.
Jose Andres reacts
Jose Andres also found himself on Trump’s chopping block. The Spanish-American chef, known for founding World Central Kitchen, was removed from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. The two have a long and rocky history. Andres once backed out of a restaurant deal at Trump’s DC hotel after Trump’s inflammatory comments about Mexicans. Their legal battle ended in a settlement, but tensions never eased.
Andres responded to his dismissal with a post on X (formerly Twitter). “My 2-year term was already up,” he wrote. “May God give you the wisdom, Mr. President, to put politics and name-calling aside…and instead lift up the everyday people working to bring America together. Let’s build longer tables.”
Broader government shake-up
But Trump’s purge didn’t stop there. He also removed former diplomat Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars and ex-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s Export Council. Trump’s team says this is just the beginning of their mission to rid the federal government of Biden-era appointees.
New workplace rules
At the same time, Trump is shaking up federal workplace rules. On Monday, he ordered government workers back to the office five days a week. He also weakened job protections for civil servants, reviving his controversial “Schedule F” plan. This move makes it easier for the administration to replace career government employees with Trump loyalists.
Support and criticism
Trump’s allies are backing these changes, claiming they’ll help the president streamline the federal workforce. Critics, however, argue that the moves are a blatant power grab aimed at consolidating control over government institutions.
With his return-to-work mandate and mass firings, Trump is making it clear he’s ready to reshape Washington. The sweeping actions are just the first salvo in what’s shaping up to be a contentious and transformative presidency.
