By Will Weissert, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has plans to radically reshape the federal government if he returns to the White House, from promising to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to abolishing government agencies and firing tens of thousands of workers and replacing them with loyalists.
Liberal organizations in Washington are backing President Joe Biden and say they expect Trump to lose. But they’re quietly trying to install roadblocks just in case.
A collection of activists, advocates and legal experts is promoting new federal rules to limit presidential power while urging Biden’s White House to do more to protect his accomplishments and limit Trump in a possible second term. All of that is happening with far less fanfare than plans by Trump supporters to create a conservative government-in-waiting via an effort known as “Project 2025.”
The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s chief human resources agency, proposed a rule against reclassifying tens of thousands of workers so they can be more easily fired. According to spokesperson Viet Tran, the office will finalize the rule in April. That means that a future administration would likely have to spend months — or even years — unwinding it if they want to try to do so.
Those supporting the effort are open about its limits.
“My impression is the Biden administration is taking very seriously that potential threat and is trying to do things now,” said Michael Linden, a former executive associate director of the White House Office of Management and Budget under Biden. But he added, “Nobody should be under any illusion that there’s anything that this president can do in advance to prevent the next president from doing things that are very damaging, potentially catastrophically.”
“There isn’t any magic bullet,” Linden said.
The White House is reluctant to talk about a second Trump term before…
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