As an Eagle Scout and someone who constantly volunteers locally, I sympathize with the drive to serve others. Considering how much politics impacts us as people, I understand the urge to be involved in the political world (I also get there’s a lot of money involved in this part of politics and policy, but that’s beside the point). I am sure many people have dreams of working for the federal government, whether it be in a Department or interning for someone in the President’s cabinet. I say that because I am one of them. My ambitions include eventually attending law school after I graduate from college and eventually getting a job with influence in politics. I may be a high school student who is just entering college, but I think having those ambitions at my age is reasonable considering how expensive and competitive college has become. To have those ambitions impacted by outside sources would be, to put it lightly, annoying. But I can confidently say that President Trump’s recent freeze on hiring is the least of our problems.
While it is a bummer that opportunities are dwindling for law school students and graduates (especially for the estimated 200+ people whose job acceptances to the Justice Department might have been rescinded), it’s not like it was totally out of the blue. People like me who have gotten into politics know that Donald Trump would be unpredictable during his second term. His first presidency could be summarized by one word: unorthodox. Trump took advantage of the newfound power he obtained in 2016 and shook up the judiciary, appointing three new Supreme Court Justices and installing an unprecedented number of non-Scotus federal judges in his first term. Trump also signed into law a historic tax cut and his administration gave subsidies to farmers in response to new tariffs.
In many ways, the unprecedented actions of the first Trump administration created successes, but depending on where you stand politically, you may also remember the tumult. Trump’s first administration saw high levels of cabinet turnover from 2017-2019. Then came COVID, where left-wing critics called out Trump for spreading misinformation about the severity of the disease and the slow roll out of nationwide testing. And remember when he suddenly announced a European travel ban at the height of COVID-19 and how the whole world reacted by panicking? The EU criticized the escalation harshly. The country did become bitterly divided throughout the pandemic, but we have been out of the worst of it for a while now.
The point is that the confusion will one day clear up. It may take time, but I have reason to believe everything will return to what is normal. Trump only has these four years left, so the impact of his unpredictability will be temporary at best; it should not be treated as the end of the world (or as a reason to flee to the UK like Ellen DeGeneres recently did). Trump ultimately does what Trump wants. This is his presidency and his legacy on the line and it is up to him how he wants himself to look. As I’ve grown up, I have learned to respect the President for his resilience, diligence, and cleverness. I have also learned not to dwell on or worry about what is out of my control, especially over the past few months during my college application process.
So, to anyone who may be worried about how impactful Trump’s next policy implementation will be, I understand your concerns. But there are always alternatives. For every job in the federal government that gets taken, an opening with a private organization is left behind. Life is all about seizing opportunities at the right time; dreams can come true, but they take time to develop. That is why initiative and determination—two traits that Donald Trump carries in abundance—will open doors to success and wipe away your worries.
Just control what you can control. As music legend Stevie Wonder once sang “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing”.
