Trump loyalty: how to get hired for public service in the US

The Trump administration has approved new rules requiring candidates for civil service to answer four essay questions designed to assess a candidate's political philosophy, commitment to government effectiveness, and personal work ethic.

There is even a GS-5 pay grade position, where the base annual salary starts at $32,357 per year. Such positions include, among others, nursing assistants, national park workers, and firefighters.

One of the questions asks the candidate to name their favorite presidential decrees or policy initiatives and explain how they would help implement them if hired. The other two ask how the candidate plans to improve the efficiency of government agencies and what principles of personal work ethics they follow.

Responses should be no more than 200 words. The memorandum emphasizes the inadmissibility of fraud. Applicants will be required to confirm that they are using their own words and have not involved consultants or artificial intelligence.

The 30-page document, signed by White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell, implements President Donald Trump's executive order to eliminate federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

The executive order also provides for priority employment for candidates who, according to the administration's definition, are "committed to improving the efficiency of the federal government, sincerely support the ideals of the American republic, and adhere to the rule of law and the United States Constitution."