‘Chaos’, ‘fear’ and ‘uncertainty’: US representative on Trump’s threats to civil service

When Eugene Vindman was running for his House seat last year, the Virginia Democrat warned about the severe threat that Donald Trump’s election would pose to the civil service, predicting the new president would attempt to politicize formerly nonpartisan roles to advance his own agenda.

Three weeks into the president’s second term, Vindman’s warnings appear prescient. The president and his allies – including Elon Musk, head of the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) – have moved at lightning speed to fire federal prosecutors who worked on criminal cases against Trump, force out longtime civil servants by launching a legally suspect buyout program, and even attempt to unilaterally shutter the foreign aid agency USAid.

Vindman believes Trump’s assault on the civil service will prove not only financially devastating to his constituents in Virginia’s seventh congressional district – where 14% of workers are employed by the federal government – but potentially destructive to national security.

“The attacks on the civil service are extremely dangerous,” Vindman said. “Our adversaries are going to take advantage. In my mind, this is not an ‘if’ something bad is going to happen. It’s ‘when’ something bad is going to happen.”

Vindman has first-hand knowledge when it comes to Trump’s efforts to politicize the work of federal officials. During Trump’s first term, Vindman and his twin brother, Alexander Vindman, raised alarms about the the president’s alleged attempt to pressure Ukraine to launch an investigation of Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Those allegations eventually led to Trump’s first impeachment, and the Vindman brothers, both of whom held senior positions on the national security council, were fired.

That experience informed Vindman’s perspective when he launched his campaign last year. Even as Trump and Vindman’s Republican opponent in his House race attempted to distance themselves from the controversial Project 2025, he saw the document as a clear blueprint for how the new administration would target federal employees.

“It was very evident to me, and certainly based on my time in the first Trump White House, what he was planning on doing and what the roadmap was,” Vindman said. “I’m now focused on the work of governing and doing what I can in supporting those elements that are actually in a position to do something about this.”

Vindman has already taken steps to help his constituents and federal workers across the country who are feeling the impact of Trump’s policies. Last week, Vindman introduced a bill aimed at allowing federal employees who are military spouses the option to engage in telework and remote work.

“It’s straightforward. It’s simple. It’s already got bipartisan support,” Vindman said of the legislation.

Vindman predicted that the legislative calendar would present other opportunities for Democrats to hold Trump accountable, but in the meantime, the congressman and his team are working to reassure anxious constituents affected by the new policies. Vindman recently held a virtual town hall to discuss the threats facing federal employees, and nearly 500 people joined the call, underscoring the panic gripping many government workers right now.

“It’s chaos. It’s fear. It’s also uncertainty,” Vindman said. “What’s real and what’s not real?”

One man who attended Vindman’s town hall explained that he was a former military medevac pilot, with decades of additional experience in the civil service, who is raising an autistic daughter. He felt like he couldn’t make an informed decision about the buyout offer because of the intense confusion surrounding the program and the unrealistic deadline for employees to submit requests. A federal judge ruled on Monday that he would keep a temporary block on the buyout offer in place as he considers whether the policy is lawful.

“There are programs like [the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority] that they could’ve implemented to do this, but they decided not to. They decided to go do something completely BS,” Vindman said. “You can’t tell whether it’s legitimate or not. It doesn’t have any of the hallmarks of legitimacy.”

From a national security perspective, Vindman fears that policies such as extending buyout offers to the entire workforce at the Central Intelligence Agency and allowing Musk’s team to access sensitive personal information at several government departments could create an opening for US adversaries. Specifically on the attempted shuttering of USAid, Vindman noted that the budget of the US military might have to increase to cover the gaps created by the agency’s closing, probably eliminating the possibility of any reduction in federal spending related to the change.

“In my mind, this ‘department of government efficiency’ is a department of government inefficiency because it has cost a ton more money,” Vindman said. “It’s causing chaos, and the threat to our natural security, in my mind, is just so crystal clear.”

While Vindman and his colleagues work to shed more light on the activities of Trump and Musk, he expressed gratitude to the civil servants continuing their work under such stressful conditions. He also implored them to share their perspective with friends and neighbors so they, too, might better understand how Trump’s policies could undermine crucial government services.

“For these hardworking civil servants that have dedicated their lives to serving the American people and defending the constitution, I hear you. I see you. I appreciate what you’re doing,” Vindman said. “There are going to be some tough times ahead, and the bottom line is that we’re going to have your back as much as possible. But you need to also make your voice heard.”

Send us a tip
If you have information you’d like to share securely with the Guardian about the impact of cuts to federal programs, please use a non-work device to contact us via the Signal messaging app at (646) 886-8761.