Federal Worker Unions Sue Trump Administration Over “Loyalty Question” in Job Applications

Unions representing thousands of federal employees have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of inserting a politically biased “loyalty question” into federal job applications. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Boston, claims that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) violated the U.S. Constitution by requiring applicants to express support for President Donald Trump’s policies to be considered for federal employment.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) argue that the new hiring question undermines the long-standing tradition of a nonpartisan civil service. The question asks applicants, “How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?” Applicants are also asked to cite and discuss specific executive orders or initiatives they support.

Union leaders say this question forces potential employees to either align politically with the president or risk losing job opportunities. “This isn’t just illegal—it harms our members and all Americans by undermining a skilled, nonpartisan workforce,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.

The controversial question stems from an OPM hiring overhaul announced in May, following an executive order Trump signed in January to “restore merit” to federal hiring. While most of the new essay questions address job performance, unions claim this one improperly tests political loyalty.

The lawsuit alleges the policy violates First Amendment free speech rights by conditioning government employment on political beliefs and also breaches the Privacy Act. The unions are seeking to have the question removed from all federal job applications, emphasizing the importance of protecting a fair and apolitical hiring process within the U.S. civil service.