How federal communicators are approaching the presidential transition  

 As the countdown continues toward the second administration of former president Donald Trump, government employees are busy preparing for a transition of power and keeping a close eye on what this (mostly) new administration will do. 

Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, through the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE (which is not a government agency), have been charged with leading an effort to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies,” per a statement from Trump. The duo have promised to reduce spending by $500 billion to $2 trillion by cutting what they say are unauthorized and excessive costs, removing entire agencies and cutting as many as 75% of federal employees. 

Governmental leaders and employees alike fear loss of expertise and major hits to employee morale, as well as a reprisal or intensification of operational challenges that arose during the last administration, such as delays in policy implementation and a reduction in some public services.  

But this is far from the federal government’s first transition of power, and leaders across departments have geared up to meet whatever comes their way while supporting employees through the process. 

“Administrations and leadership priorities may change, but the fundamental strategies we use to inform, engage and educate our audience will remain consistent,” said David Johnston, head of social media for the Department of Defense, who has held government jobs for more than 20 years. Johnston spoke to Ragan about his experiences transitioning employees through administration changes.  

Easing (warranted) anxieties 

While it’s difficult to predict exactly what will happen once Trump takes office, we may see the return of some tactics from the last iteration of this administration. For example, during the first year of the former president’s first term, about 13,000 government jobs were cut, while other workers quit or pulled the trigger on their retirement in response to cutbacks and changes to employee policies, according to the Washington Post. 

The State Department’s number of employees dropped 6.4%, and the Education Department lost 9.4% percent of employees in the same period. About 1,600 staffers, or 8% of the Environmental Protection Agency’sworkforce, left within the first months following the 2020 election. The EPA’s leadership has reported deep anxiety among employees, who pose additional flight risks in response to the incoming administration’s plans for the agency, according to Politico. 

While other administrations have made cuts, one of the Trump administration’s plans is to more effectively implement its policies around “Schedule F,” which could effectively make many government workers at-will employees, and move the headquarters of the EPA out of Washington, D.C. Biden rescinded Trump’s initial Schedule F moves two days into his administration. 

“The uncertainty of working with a new administration can be unsettling for team members,” Johnston said. “As leaders, it’s important to keep our staff informed with all available information at the moment. Additionally, we need to remind team members that it’s perfectly normal to have these feelings and assure them that we will face the challenges and opportunities together.” 

One factor to consider: “Incoming staff will have varying levels of experience and expectations for working in the federal system,” Johnston said. With some employees having been in their roles for decades and eyeing an exit as the new administration gears up, communicators are charged with protecting and ensuring that institutional knowledge is passed down through departments, and preparing less experienced employees for the change. 

Stability in the storm 

Even without the additional factors that make this presidential transition one to watch closely, transitioning between presidents is a massive undertaking — but it’s not a new one. Any presidential transition will come with upheaval, and processes have long been in place to retain as much normalcy and predictability as possible. Many departments select dedicated staff to oversee a smooth transition prior to the election, and these are often intentionally nonpartisan leaders, such as University of Virginia’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs Stephen D. Mull, who will manage the shift in the State Department. 

Johnston’s team is prioritizing open communication channels, including regular check-ins and updates on anticipated changes to create a sense of stability and collective resilience within the team.  

“In times of change, it’s important that we maintain the strategies that have established our credibility,” Johnston said. “It’s incumbent upon us to establish an effective flow of information so that we can provide helpful guidance, anticipate potential issues, and meet the expectations of the new administration.” 

He emphasized the importance of creating detailed transition playbooks that outline the organization’s core communication principles, current strategies and critical stakeholders to ensure continuity while allowing room for adjustments. 

“The key strategies are to overcommunicate, if that’s even possible, and prepare for change — because it’s a given,” Johnston said. 

Additionally, and perhaps in federal employees’ favor, presidential transition processes were streamlined recently, and it’s in part due to Trump and his supporters’ resistance to Joe Biden taking office in 2021. 

Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 modernized procedures for the first time since 1887. Although it was primarily motivated by Trump and his allies’ attempts to have the election results overturned — allowing for things like logistical planning to proceed even if the results remain uncertain — it also revised and solidified the flow of transition funding, departmental responsibilities, recordkeeping and timelines. 

It’s not going to be an easy process as this new administration comes in eyeing budgets and staffing — and poses threats to additional priorities such as DEI and ESG — but federal communicators have a long history of easing stress and supporting cohesion in the face of uncertainty.