Donald Trump announced a new part of his plan to drain the swamp and take on the entrenched federal bureaucracy: requiring all federal employees to pass a Civil Service test to prove their understanding of the United States Constitution.
The Republican presidential candidate made the announcement as part of a campaign video addressing a platform to combat President Biden’s over-regulation.
Trump explained his Civil Service plan and referenced the FBI raid on his home in Mar-a-Lago.
“I will require every federal employee to pass a new Civil Service test demonstrating an understanding of our Constitutional limited government,” he said.
“This will include command of due process rights, equal protection, Free Speech, religious liberty, federalism, the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure — I know all about that at Mar-a-Lago, don’t I — and all the other constitutional limits on federal power,” Trump added.
Trump’s campaign announcement, aside from requiring all federal employees to take and pass a Civil Service test, seeks to develop Freedom Cities with limited government oversight as a means to boost the flailing economy.
These Freedom Cities will become a development hub for “vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles,” will cut off imports from China, and will encourage “baby bonuses” to address underpopulation concerns.
“We will put unelected bureaucrats back in their place, liberate the U.S. economy, and attract millions of jobs and trillions of dollars to our shores,” the leading GOP presidential candidate stated.
Trump says he will build 10 new Trump Freedom Cities in the US, which will be free of government regulations so they can become manufacturing meccas. pic.twitter.com/jGI0FFAmpB
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) April 14, 2023
The latest polling shows Trump running away with the GOP nomination over his closest competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not announced he’s running as of yet.
However, a new survey by the GOP firm Public Opinion Strategies indicates DeSantis – not Trump – leads Biden in a hypothetical matchup in two critical battleground states, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
2024 Arizona General Election Poll:
DeSantis 48% (+6)
Biden 42%
.
Biden 45% (+1)
Trump 44%@POStrategies ~ 500 RV ~ 4/11-4/13https://t.co/G9nJcSOPMo— PollTracker (@PollTrackerUSA) April 18, 2023
The former President’s Civil Service test plan is part of his effort to finally ‘drain the swamp’ in Washington, D.C., and clean out what he defines as the “deep state.”
Cleaning up the corrupt federal government has to be a top consideration, as well as a top regret for Trump during his first term as President.
His plan includes “firing rogue bureaucrats and career politicians” and “targeting government corruption.”
“This plan will also end the ongoing weaponization of the justice system that targets its political enemies simply because of their political or religious beliefs,” Trump explains.
#AGENDA47: President Trump's plan to DISMANTLE the deep state, FIRE the rogue bureaucrats and career politicians in Washington, and return our government to the AMERICAN PEOPLE.
The corrupt establishment is fighting President Trump because President Trump fights for YOU! pic.twitter.com/qSorLPmsa1
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 21, 2023
Trump’s latest surge in the polls has earned him some key endorsements from lawmakers in DeSantis’s own state of Florida.
Reps. John Rutherford and Brian Mast announced their endorsement of Trump this week, while he’s already earned support from Reps. Greg Steube, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, and Anna Paulina Luna.
BREAKING: Florida Congressman @gregsteube endorses Donald Trump for President!
He joins other America First patriots from Florida like @mattgaetz, @ByronDonalds, @CoryMillsFL and @realannapaulina on team #MAGA. pic.twitter.com/HeiwWYF8sS
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 18, 2023
Axios reporter Josh Kraushaar tweeted that the endorsements indicate that “something (is) not right with the [DeSantis] outreach.”
The latest 2024 polls have Trump holding a sizable 23+ point lead over DeSantis, while both are far outpacing other possible contenders, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.