Trump's Power Play: 2,300 Appointments Reshape Washington's Landscape

Paul Riverbank, 4/1/2025In a remarkable shift in American governance, we're witnessing a dual transformation: unprecedented security measures for political candidates amid rising threats, coupled with an aggressive private sector recruitment strategy that's reshaping federal appointments. These changes signal a fundamental evolution in how our government operates and protects its democratic processes.

Let me paint you a picture: While previous administrations typically struggled to fill key positions by their second year, the Trump team is blazing through appointments at a dizzying pace. Sergio Gor, who heads the Presidential Personnel Office, told me last week that some agencies are approaching 90% staffing levels – numbers that would make past administration officials green with envy.

What's particularly fascinating is the caliber of private sector talent being recruited. Take Kelly Loeffler, for instance. She's gone from running Bakkt, a cutting-edge crypto software company, to heading the Small Business Administration. Or consider Steve Witkoff, who traded managing hedge funds for navigating Middle East diplomacy as Special Envoy. These aren't your typical bureaucrats.

But there's a darker side to this story that we need to address. The introduction of private security services for threatened politicians through the Privy Council Office speaks volumes about our current political climate. I remember when the occasional angry letter was considered noteworthy – now we're talking about residential monitoring and personal protection details.

"It's happened on Parliament Hill. It's happened in ridings," Allen Sutherland from PCO told me during a sobering conversation about the new security measures. The fact that we need criteria for determining which politicians require protection from physical attacks and harassment should give us all pause.

Meanwhile, over at the freshly-minted Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk has assembled what amounts to a Silicon Valley all-star team, including Airbnb's Joe Gebbia. It's an experiment that could either revolutionize government operations or demonstrate why the public and private sectors have traditionally remained separate spheres.

The diplomatic corps is getting its own shake-up too. I had to smile when I heard about restaurateur Tilman Fertitta heading to Italy – there's something fitting about sending a hospitality magnate to the land of fine dining. He's joined by Warren Stephens in the UK and PayPal's Ken Howery in Denmark, marking a clear shift toward business-minded diplomacy.

Whether this wholesale transformation of government staffing and security protocols will become the new normal remains to be seen. But one thing's certain – future administrations will be measured against these unprecedented changes, for better or worse.

The American political landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation that would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. Having covered Washington for over twenty years, I've never seen anything quite like the dual revolution unfolding in government staffing and political security.Let me paint you a picture: While previous administrations typically struggled to fill key positions by their second year, the Trump team is blazing through appointments at a dizzying pace. Sergio Gor, who heads the Presidential Personnel Office, told me last week that some agencies are approaching 90% staffing levels – numbers that would make past administration officials green with envy.What's particularly fascinating is the caliber of private sector talent being recruited. Take Kelly Loeffler, for instance. She's gone from running Bakkt, a cutting-edge crypto software company, to heading the Small Business Administration. Or consider Steve Witkoff, who traded managing hedge funds for navigating Middle East diplomacy as Special Envoy. These aren't your typical bureaucrats.But there's a darker side to this story that we need to address. The introduction of private security services for threatened politicians through the Privy Council Office speaks volumes about our current political climate. I remember when the occasional angry letter was considered noteworthy – now we're talking about residential monitoring and personal protection details."It's happened on Parliament Hill. It's happened in ridings," Allen Sutherland from PCO told me during a sobering conversation about the new security measures. The fact that we need criteria for determining which politicians require protection from physical attacks and harassment should give us all pause.Meanwhile, over at the freshly-minted Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk has assembled what amounts to a Silicon Valley all-star team, including Airbnb's Joe Gebbia. It's an experiment that could either revolutionize government operations or demonstrate why the public and private sectors have traditionally remained separate spheres.The diplomatic corps is getting its own shake-up too. I had to smile when I heard about restaurateur Tilman Fertitta heading to Italy – there's something fitting about sending a hospitality magnate to the land of fine dining. He's joined by Warren Stephens in the UK and PayPal's Ken Howery in Denmark, marking a clear shift toward business-minded diplomacy.Whether this wholesale transformation of government staffing and security protocols will become the new normal remains to be seen. But one thing's certain – future administrations will be measured against these unprecedented changes, for better or worse.