Staffing the government: An analysis of Trump’s personnel strategy across his two terms

Winning the presidential election positions incoming presidents to make thousands of appointments across the federal government including the Executive Office of the President, federal departments and agencies, and appointments to the federal district and appellate courts. The task is both gargantuan and critical. In short, filling top executive branch leadership posts with qualified, committed public servants is vital to a president’s success, and judicial appointments not only affect judicial branch receptivity to presidential policies, but create legacies that outlast the president’s term in office.

On January 21, the Initiative on Improving Interbranch Relations and Government at Brookings and the Partnership for Public Service hosted a webinar to discuss original data identifying similarities and differences across President Trump’s appointments in 2017 and 2025. Experts examined White House staff appointments and turnover rates, Senate-confirmed appointments, and President Trump’s effectiveness at filling judicial vacancies.

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