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DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:14 PM Jul 2018

Trump loyalists at VA shuffling, purging employees before new secretary takes over

Source: The Washington Post

By Lisa Rein
July 18 at 2:32 PM

Ahead of Robert Wilkie’s likely confirmation to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Trump loyalists at the agency are taking aggressive steps to purge or reassign staff perceived to be disloyal to President Trump and his agenda for veterans, according to multiple people familiar with the moves.

The transfers include more than a dozen career civil servants who have been moved from the leadership suite at VA headquarters and reassigned to lower-visibility roles. The employees served agency leaders, some dating back more than two decades, in crucial support roles that help a new secretary. None say they were given reasons for their reassignments.

The moves are being carried out by a small cadre of political appointees led by Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke who have consolidated power in the four months since they helped oust former Secretary David Shulkin.

The reshuffling marks a new stage in a long estrangement between civil servants and Trump loyalists at VA, where staff upheaval and sinking morale threatens to derail service to one of the president’s key constituencies, according to current and former employees.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-loyalists-at-va-shuffling-purging-employees-before-new-secretary-takes-over/2018/07/18/a4462aae-892d-11e8-8aea-86e88ae760d8_story.html

6 replies

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Trump loyalists at VA shuffling, purging employees before new secretary takes over (Original Post) DonViejo Jul 2018 OP

I highly doubt that Trump could even tell you what his VA "agenda" is. dameatball Jul 2018 #1

Yeah not fooled Jul 2018 #4

This is a rolling coup bucolic_frolic Jul 2018 #2

I really hope when we FINALLY get majorities back, we will fire and replace all the Trumpists too LiberalLovinLug Jul 2018 #3

Yep not fooled Jul 2018 #5

Remember... The Right Wingers are slaves to projection... Shipwack Jul 2018 #6

dameatball

(7,400 posts)

1. I highly doubt that Trump could even tell you what his VA "agenda" is.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:18 PM

Jul 2018

not fooled

(5,801 posts)

4. Yeah

Reply to dameatball (Reply #1)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:35 PM

Jul 2018

as in so many other crucial policy areas, he's just a pass-through for the kook brothers and their vile agenda.

bucolic_frolic

(43,313 posts)

2. This is a rolling coup

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:21 PM

Jul 2018

LiberalLovinLug

(14,176 posts)

3. I really hope when we FINALLY get majorities back, we will fire and replace all the Trumpists too

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:28 PM

Jul 2018

Or will we once again pander to some mythical 'moderate Republican' who may take offense if we dared to do the same and reverse the hirings and even re-hire some of the staff let go. Or will we hire more Republicans like Comey to head intelligence agencies and other departments in the weak hope that it will be seen as an olive branch to McConnell and his chums and they will respect that and be more conciliatory themselves.

Because i say enough with trying to play both sides and try to prove how non-partison you can be with hirings. I am so sick of this failing strategy.

not fooled

(5,801 posts)

5. Yep

Reply to LiberalLovinLug (Reply #3)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:36 PM

Jul 2018

that's what needs to happen. Otherwise it's 3 steps back (pukes pushing their agenda) then only 1 step forward.

Shipwack

(2,171 posts)

6. Remember... The Right Wingers are slaves to projection...

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Wed Jul 18, 2018, 03:43 PM

Jul 2018

If they are moving staff around fearing that senior members will actively work against Trump appointees and his policies...

That is because that is exactly what they plan on doing when a Democratic President comes into power.

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