Staff Reports
In a twist that only the world of bureaucratic drama can churn out, the Biden administration is facing off against the legacy of Donald Trump over the contentious issue of who gets fired and who gets to stay employed — even if they barely clocked enough time to remember the coffee pot. Hampton Dellinger, the self-proclaimed top cop for federal workers’ rights, has decided to step into the ring, urging the Merit Systems Protection Board to put the brakes on the Trump administration’s mass ousting of probationary employees. According to Dellinger, these swift terminations seem a tad “impermissible,” which we assume translates to “not flying with the legal eagles.”
Under federal law, every federal employee is entitled to be evaluated on their individual performance. Sounds fair, right? However, the Trump team’s rationale for targeting these probationary workers was that their fleeting tenure afforded them fewer civil service protections. This little bureaucratic twist didn’t sit well with Dellinger, who insists that these folks still deserve a break—at least until they can learn the ropes and grab onto their “I Love Government Work” mugs.
Dellinger asserted that terminating probationary employees without giving them their due individual evaluation is like handing out speeding tickets while breaking the speed limit yourself. He feels compelled to request that the board hit pause on these firings while his agency delves deeper into this apparent administrative misconduct. It seems there’s nothing quite like the drama of federal employment law to keep things interesting.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration isn’t about to take this lying down. There’s another layer to the saga: Trump is reportedly trying to fire Dellinger himself. A federal judge has decided to keep this toss-up on hold, and the Supreme Court has chosen not to intervene, leaving Dellinger firmly in the driver’s seat of this bureaucratic rollercoaster. Dellinger claims he typically would not have waded into the affairs of probationary employees, but since these cases are attracting more “public” attention than an unwanted viral video, he decided to air his grievances.
Office of Special Counsel wants 45-day delay in Trump firingshttps://t.co/MZag9HapBA pic.twitter.com/eNf4g35DEf
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 26, 2025
In true bureaucratic fashion, Dellinger has taken issue with specific firings, including one case where a seemingly ideal program support assistant at the Education Department received his pink slip just hours after being praised for being “a perfect fit.” Approximately 60 of his colleagues were tossed overboard that day, proving that when it comes to bureaucratic revenge, kindness can indeed be as fleeting as a first-year intern’s enthusiasm.
As the plot thickens, Democrats are rallying behind Dellinger like excited spectators at a sporting event. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland declared that Dellinger’s stance exemplifies the importance of independent agencies that keep a check on power. One thing is clear: the world of federal employment remains a stage where every act sees new players and plot twists galore. So buckle up; it’s going to be a bumpy bureaucratic ride.
