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- John McEntee, director of the presidential personnel office, threatened to fire political appointees if they sought other employment before President Donald Trump’s term expired, The Associated Press, CNN and Axios reported on Monday.
- Each administration appoints around 4,000 political staff. The people appointed by President Donald Trump now have less than three months in office.
- Staff could be sacked if their bosses learn they are applying for new jobs, according to the report – but the Associated Press report called McEntee’s words a mere warning.
- Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.
White House Presidential Chief of Staff threatened to fire staff if he looked for another job before President Donald Trump’s term ended, Associated Press, CNN and Axios reported on Monday.
John McEntee, director of the Presidential Personnel Office, has urged executive branch departments to lay off staff in search of new jobs, a senior official told CNN. Two administrative officials confirmed this to Axios.
Officials are now worried about young employees who will soon have to find new jobs, the CNN source said.
Each administration has about 4,000 politicians. These officials leave when a new administration takes office, which means that those currently appointed to their current posts have less than three months left.
However, another official told AP that McEntee’s remark was only a warning and that it was unlikely to result in layoffs. Instead, McEntee made his statement to encourage staff to stay loyal to Trump as he refuses to concede, the source said.
When approached by CNN, the White House declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Read more: Legal issues galore await Trump now that he has lost his re-election – and, soon, his presidential immunity
Separately, on Monday, Trump campaign leaders told staff members at a last-minute meeting that the election was not over and urged them to “stay in the fight,” a source told CNN.
Staff members’ contracts are due to end on Sunday and they were not told if their contracts would be extended, the source said. They are therefore looking for a new job – but shortly after Monday’s meeting, an assistant to campaign manager Bill Stepien yelled at a staff member for printing their CVs, the source said.
It’s unclear if this relates to McEntee’s same-day announcement.
Threatening to lay off staff looking for new jobs is the latest in a series of moves McEntee has taken to test his commitment to Trump.
In February, he asked cabinet secretaries to identify appointees who may be disloyal to Trump.
The following month, CNN accessed a questionnaire that McEntee had asked potential recruits to fill out. The form asked candidates to describe their “political development” and to list “thinkers, authors, books or political leaders” who had influenced their beliefs.
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