Donald Trump Makes Harry Truman Look Good

Truman's loyalty program made civil servants declare loyalty to the United States. Trump's makes them declare loyalty to Trump.

Just about the worst thing Harry S Truman did as president was create a loyalty program for government employees. Civil servants had to pledge loyalty to the United States and were investigated for past ties to communist organizations. If they refused to name names they were fired. Many innocent people lost their jobs.

But at least these civil servants weren’t obliged to pledge loyalty to Harry Truman. In my latest New Republic piece I explain how Donald Trump has achieved the impossible: He’s instituted a new loyalty program that makes Truman’s look good, because civil servants are in effect being asked to pledge loyalty to Trump. You can read it here.

PS I have nothing to say about the Trump-Musk cage match except: May it last forever.