US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Federal Job ‘Loyalty’ Question
Synopsis
A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from asking civil service applicants to explain how they would advance Trump’s policies, ruling that the hiring question likely politicized the merit-based federal workforce and infringed First Amendment rights.
A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration from continuing to ask applicants for U.S. civil service jobs to explain how they would advance President Donald Trump’s policies and executive orders, a question that government unions described as a partisan “loyalty” test.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole ruled on Friday in a lawsuit brought by three unions representing federal workers.
The unions argued that the question politicized hiring for career government positions and conflicted with federal rules that prohibit employment decisions based on political affiliation.
O’Toole, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said applicants could reasonably interpret the question as an attempt to assess their political views.
The question had appeared in applications for positions ranging from air traffic control specialists and crane operators to nuclear materials couriers.
Court Questions Political Screening
The judge said the unions were likely to succeed in showing that the government had no legitimate interest in asking applicants about their political beliefs for nonpartisan civil service positions.
He halted the question on grounds that its use likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and infringed applicants’ First Amendment speech rights.
Lawyers representing the unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, welcomed the decision. They said the question had appeared in more than 70,000 federal job postings and threatened the merit-based nature of the civil service.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the National Association of Government Employees are also plaintiffs in the case.
Policy Stems From Trump Executive Order
The Office of Personnel Management had defended the question as optional and previously said it had made clear that political beliefs could not be considered in hiring decisions.
The agency introduced the question after Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 directing the development of a federal hiring plan focused on bringing in “highly skilled Americans” dedicated to American ideals, values and interests.
An OPM memo issued in May 2025 outlined steps for implementing the order, including requiring applicants to answer the essay question.
Source: Reuters
Vishal is an experienced Editor at Inspirepreneur Magazine with key interests in artificial intelligence, eCommerce, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and startup sector. Prior to joining Inspirepreneur, he was a Content Writer cum Correspondent at Siliconindia Magazine, where he worked on Company Profiles, Cover Stories, Executive Profiles, Feature Articles and Thought Leadership content.
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