A radical vision for ‘de-wokeification’

Donald Trump’s administration mirrors the U.S. occupation of Iraq, with mass firings, inexperience, and ideological zeal.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch

By Clarisa Sendy

In 2021, JD Vance made a chilling comparison between his vision for a conservative America and U.S. policy in postwar Iraq. Speaking on an anti-feminist podcast, he argued that a second Trump presidency should implement a “de-wokeification program” akin to the U.S. campaign to root out Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party members. His proposal? Fire every midlevel bureaucrat and civil servant and replace them with loyalists.

Today, Vance’s words seem prophetic. The early days of Trump’s second term resemble the disastrous U.S. occupation of Iraq, where ideological zeal, inexperience, and incompetence converged to create chaos. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), which governed Iraq after the invasion, was staffed with right-wing political operatives, many fresh out of college, who were given enormous responsibilities despite little relevant experience. They made catastrophic decisions, including mass firings of Iraqi government workers, that fueled instability. Now, a similar purge is unfolding in Washington.

Trump’s transition team made clear that his administration would impose sweeping changes from day one, describing their plan as “shock and awe”—a phrase borrowed from the Iraq War. The impact has been immediate.

A government shutdown affecting vast swaths of federal spending created an artificial crisis, disrupting essential operations. Though a judge later forced the administration to restart some payments, the uncertainty sent shockwaves through financial markets. Meanwhile, a stunning move by Elon Musk has added to the turmoil. Late last week, Musk took control of the Treasury Department’s payment system, a platform responsible for disbursing trillions of dollars and housing sensitive financial data. His team, reportedly including engineers as young as 19, now wields unprecedented influence over critical government functions.

The rise of unqualified loyalists

As in Iraq, where young, ideologically driven appointees took charge of complex governance tasks, Trump’s administration is filling key roles with inexperienced loyalists. Wired reported that Edward Coristine, a recent high school graduate who briefly worked at Musk’s Neuralink, has been attending government meetings where federal employees must justify their jobs. Another Musk associate, software engineer Gavin Kliger, emailed USAID employees to inform them that headquarters had been closed indefinitely—without warning or official policy guidance.

The Department of Education is also under attack. Employees have been placed on leave for conducting diversity training sessions recommended by their managers. Reports indicate that Trump is planning to dismantle the department entirely. Meanwhile, over a thousand Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staffers working on climate change and pollution control have been informed that they may soon be fired.

Federal law enforcement is not immune. Thousands of FBI agents are under scrutiny for their roles in investigating the January 6 Capitol attack, with many facing dismissal. Trump is also placing ideological loyalists in high-ranking positions. Darren Beattie, reportedly set to become Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, has openly stated that “competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”

The sheer scale of this purge has led some to describe it as a coup. While Trump was legitimately elected, his administration is treating the federal government as enemy territory to be conquered and reshaped. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, an Iraqi journalist who chronicled the post-invasion chaos, described being governed by “young, naïve zealots” who wielded unchallenged power to reshape Iraq to their liking. Today, the United States is experiencing a version of that same reckless governance.

The parallels between postwar Iraq and Trump’s second term are striking. Both featured a sweeping ideological purge, the dismissal of experienced personnel, and the elevation of unqualified loyalists. Both relied on an overconfidence that institutions could be quickly rebuilt in the image of their leaders. The consequences of America’s misadventure in Iraq were devastating for the region. Now, the same misguided approach is being applied to the U.S. government.

The return of reckless governance

The long-term consequences of this radical experiment remain uncertain, but the early signs are alarming. Investors are growing wary of the instability, with financial markets reacting negatively to the disruption. The Federal Reserve, which recently held interest rates steady, now faces new inflationary risks due to economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, policy decisions affecting millions of Americans are being dictated by a small group of ideologues with little expertise.

The United States once imposed reckless, unaccountable governance on Iraq. Now, Trump is bringing that chaos home. For those who once championed Bush’s interventionist policies, the irony is profound. But for the rest of the country, the lesson is clear: dismantling a functioning government is easy. Rebuilding it is far harder.