Political Appointments Surging, Career SES Workforce Shrinking Under Trump 2.0

By Federal News Network, Maryland Matters

April 27, 2026

The federal government has reached its highest level of political appointments in decades, while also undergoing a significant loss of career senior leadership — a combination that one organization warns will lead to poor outcomes across agencies.

In a recent report, the Partnership for Public Service found that the nonconfirmed political appointee workforce is at its highest level in 40 years. Coupled with a nearly 30% decline in career Senior Executive Service members, the Partnership said there will be a loss of institutional knowledge, a decline in service quality and increasing political control at agencies.

“The concern is not that political appointees are inherently unqualified — many bring valuable expertise and leadership — but that agencies primarily led by officials selected for political loyalty rather than managerial competence can leave agencies without the expertise and experience needed to deliver results,” the Partnership said in its March 24 report.

By the end of 2025, President Donald Trump had 1,835 political appointees in the Schedule C employment classification — a category of politically appointed positions that do not require Senate confirmation. The peak level of political appointments has also occurred years earlier than any other modern president, according to the new report.

“The trajectory raises an important question: how much further will this go?” said the Partnership, a non-profit that advocates for federal government reforms.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

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While Trump administration political appointments surged, the number of career SES members has declined due to retirements, resignations and terminations. The Partnership said the number of career SES members dropped from 8,127 at the end of the Biden administration to 5,837 by January 2026 — a record low since at least 1998.

As a result of the career leadership staffing decline, Trump’s political appointees now comprise 11.7% of all SES positions — exceeding the 10% statutory cap for non-career members in the SES.

The Partnership anticipates that the number of political appointees across government will continue to increase, largely due to other efforts underway from the Trump administration.

The Schedule Policy/Career employment classification is on the verge of finalization — a move that is expected to remove civil service protections for tens of thousands of career employees in “policy-influencing” positions, making them easier for agencies to fire.

In July 2025, Trump also signed an executive order creating Schedule G — a new class of political appointees focused in policy-making and policy-advocating work who do not require Senate confirmation.

“Together, these two new categories represent a significant expansion of presidential control over the workforce beyond what existing law was designed to permit, and they are not accounted for in any of the record numbers,” the Partnership said.

Since Trump took office, there have also been a number of significant policy changes across the SES. In February 2025, the Office of Personnel Management made adherence to the president’s priorities the “most critical element” of SES performance reviews. In September, OPM then capped the number of career SES members who can receive top performance ratings. And in November, OPM advised agencies to further reduce SES staffing in response to the broader federal workforce reductions that took place.

The Partnership’s report recommended that Congress establish a cap on Schedule C appointments, as well as block the creation of all new categories of political appointees, unless given congressional approval. The organization is also calling for more transparency into political appointments — something that could be achieved through more frequent updates to OPM’s “PLUM Book.”

“Political appointees set policy direction; career officials provide the management expertise and operational continuity needed to run these organizations day to day. Both roles matter, but they are not interchangeable,” the Partnership said. “The evidence points clearly toward an expert, professional civil service with a small number of political appointees to guide policy — and that requires reform.”

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: scrane@marylandmatters.org. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and Twitter.