If officials "refuse to work to implement the president's policy or engage in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job", wrote the American president on Truth Social on Good Friday.
There is a large federal bureaucracy in the USA, where officials can be replaced at power shifts. The development has moved towards increased job security, where officials are protected against political fluctuations. It is this that Trump now wants to change, says Dag Blanck, professor of North American Studies at Uppsala University.
Laid Low
Already during his first presidential term, Trump tried to reduce job security for federal officials by introducing new rules. They were then removed by Biden – and now Trump is trying to reintroduce them again.
Trump means that his opinions, ideas, and decisions should be obeyed and followed by officials. If not, they should be dismissed, says Dag Blanck.
So far, the protests have been few.
There has been no hint of protests, on the contrary. Congress could have acted on the issue but has instead laid low, says Dag Blanck.
Will be Questioned
In the long run, the fear is that the presidential power will be strengthened.
The American political system is based on the idea of power sharing and many are worried that the president will get too much power at the expense of other parts of the government and Congress, says Dag Blanck.
The founding fathers were careful to ensure that there would be no "kings" in the USA.
Dag Blanck believes that Trump certainly has the right to dismiss officials at will, but it will be questioned.
It is likely that the matter will ultimately end up with the federal courts.
It is then up to them to determine where the limit goes for what the president is allowed to do.
