A dramatic midnight purge signals the beginning of widespread personnel changes in the new Trump administration.
According to the New York Post, President Trump initiated the dismissal of over 1,000 Biden administration appointees, starting with four high-profile individuals, including retired Gen. Mark Milley and celebrity chef Jose Andres.
The dismissals came through an "official notice of dismissal" posted on Truth Social, where Trump revived his signature phrase from "The Apprentice." The Presidential Personnel Office, led by Trump ally Sergio Gor, has begun identifying and removing appointees deemed not aligned with the administration's "Make America Great Again" vision.
Among the first to be removed was retired Gen. Mark Milley, who previously served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and had received a preemptive pardon from Biden before leaving office. Milley's dismissal from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council came after his previous public criticism of Trump, including calling him a "wannabe dictator."
The Pentagon quickly responded to the change in leadership by removing Milley's portrait within three hours of Trump's inauguration. The portrait had been installed by the Biden administration just two weeks earlier alongside other former joint chiefs of staff.
Jose Andres, a renowned Spanish-American chef and recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom under Biden, was also dismissed from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Andres responded to his dismissal on social media, stating he had already submitted his resignation the previous week.
The new administration has embarked on an unprecedented hiring initiative, bringing on more than 1,300 staffers on its first day – setting a record for Day One hires by any president. Trump's team emphasizes careful selection in filling these positions, learning from what Trump described as his previous mistake of hiring "bad people, or disloyal people."
The Presidential Personnel Office, under Gor's leadership, anticipates hiring approximately 4,000 people for the new administration. However, allies of certain Republican figures, including Charles Koch, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, and others who have spoken against Trump, are explicitly excluded from consideration.
Trump posted on Truth Social regarding the hiring restrictions:
In order to save time, money, and effort, it would be helpful if you would not send, or recommend to us, people who worked with, or are endorsed by [the above] … or any of the other people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, more commonly known as TDS.
The administration's personnel changes extend beyond political appointees to affect the broader federal workforce. Trump has mandated federal workers to return to office five days per week and implemented measures to weaken civil service job protections.
These changes align with the administration's broader strategy to reshape the federal bureaucracy. The return-to-work mandate and modifications to civil-service protections, known as "Schedule F," are designed to facilitate the replacement of career government workers with individuals loyal to Trump's agenda.
The administration has also moved swiftly to implement various executive orders, including withdrawing from international agreements and reversing numerous Biden-era policies across multiple sectors of government operations.
President Trump's midnight dismissal of Biden appointees marks the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul of federal personnel. The dismissals affected four initial appointees, including retired Gen. Mark Milley and Jose Andres, with more removals anticipated in the coming days. As the Presidential Personnel Office continues its review, the administration plans to fill approximately 4,000 positions while implementing significant changes to federal workforce policies and structure.
