The Trump administration’s latest purge of career civil servants in the State Department will leave gaping holes in U.S. foreign policy expertise that could take decades to rebuild. In February, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14217, “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Government,” directing the elimination of the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program. For nearly fifty years, this flagship professional development program has recruited the best and brightest graduate students to serve across the U.S. government on behalf of the American people. It has played a particularly vital role in supporting national security departments and agencies, which depend on trustworthy, high-performing public servants to manage the country’s most sensitive information.
But the PMF program is more than just a hiring mechanism for federal workers. It is a leadership initiative designed to equip future civil servants with management training, interagency exposure, and an understanding of how the U.S. government operates—from embassies overseas and combatant commands to Washington headquarters. The combination of top-tier talent and structured development has helped produce alumni who went on to become U.S. Senators, members of Congress, and Cabinet officials.
The above excerpt was originally published in Just Security.
Click here to view the full article.