Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
Trump moves nearly 8,000 career federal positions into Schedule Policy/Career, stripping their protections against firing
Executive Order 14410 of June 3, 2026 completes the process that began when Trump revived the 2020 Schedule F plan under a new name on his first day back.
What happened
On June 3, 2026, Trump signed Executive Order 14410, placing the nearly 8,000 career positions in its appendix into Schedule Policy/Career, where employees lose the adverse-action procedures that let career staff challenge dismissal. The administration had earlier estimated 50,000 positions would move. Agencies had seven days to notify the affected employees.
The list includes agency chief information officers and deputies, a chief information security officer and other roles in IT, data and AI. The order determined that these positions are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making or policy-advocating character. Schedule Policy/Career was created in January 2025 as the successor to Schedule F.
Employees in the schedule keep their jobs and, the order says, are hired on merit, but they lose the right to appeal removal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. OPM Director Scott Kupor said senior policy staff must be willing and able to carry out the administration’s directives.
Who benefited
The president and his political appointees gained the power to remove thousands of senior career officials without cause or appeal. OPM controls the list and can add to it. The order also created a separate bonus pool for employees in the new schedule.
Who wanted something
Kupor briefed reporters and defended the order, and OMB Director Russell Vought is a longtime architect of Schedule F. The Heritage Foundation network’s Project 2025 made at-will conversion of policy staff a central goal. Kupor said senior policy staff must be willing and able to carry out the administration’s directives.
Who lost out
Nearly 8,000 career employees can now be fired for carrying out their jobs in ways the administration dislikes. The public that depends on them to report waste, fraud and unsafe decisions loses with them. AFGE’s president said staff who once reported problems freely would now fear for their jobs.
Why it matters
The merit civil service exists so that expertise does not change hands with each election and officials can say no to unlawful orders. Converting the most senior technical and policy roles to at-will status reverses that. The order’s own text leaves the list open to expansion.