The Loyalty Litmus Test
How Authoritarianism Slipped In Wearing a Flag Pin
It is no longer a question of speculation. The pattern is here, and it’s dangerous: Democrats are being openly targeted under the Trump administration. The message is clear and increasingly unmistakable—you are either loyal to the agenda, or you are the enemy. Dissent is not tolerated. Even neutrality is now suspect.
The most recent and disturbing development: a new requirement for federal employment mandates applicants to write essays explaining how their contributions will support Trump’s executive orders. While essays in federal hiring are not new, the specificity and ideological nature of these prompts mark a sharp and authoritarian turn. In effect, it is a loyalty pledge disguised as a hiring filter.
It is worth repeating that most Americans fall somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum. They aren’t far-right or far-left. They are pragmatic, policy-focused, and simply want a government that works. But this system isn’t designed to find the best candidate for the job. It’s designed to screen out anyone who doesn’t explicitly align themselves with Trumpism.
When hiring for public service roles becomes an exercise in political allegiance, we are no longer operating as a constitutional democracy. This is how authoritarian systems reinforce themselves—by populating every level of government with loyalists and ideologues.
Meanwhile, Trump’s public statements are growing even more extreme. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, he called for the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history, explicitly naming cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago—Democratic strongholds—as key targets. But it wasn’t just about immigration enforcement. He accused the leaders of these cities of hating America, cheating in elections, and destroying the nation from within.
This isn’t policy. This is propaganda.
He claimed that sanctuary cities are to blame for American decline. That transgender rights, open borders, and gender inclusion are signs of mental illness among his political opponents. He instructed ICE, Border Patrol, and federal law enforcement to focus on "crime ridden" inner cities. It is not difficult to see what’s happening: Trump is laying the groundwork to justify persecution of political opposition under the guise of law and order.
He doesn't speak of disagreements or debate. He speaks of enemies. He doesn't differentiate between criminals and critics. If you're not with him, you're against him.
In another development, subtle but insidious, the language used to describe veteran care has been modified in ways that create room for discrimination. Early reports suggest that changes to eligibility and outreach verbiage exclude or deprioritize services for Democrats or those deemed "non-traditional" families. These are ideological litmus tests masked as bureaucratic fine print.
What happened to a country where you could safely disagree with your government? Where choosing a political party wasn’t an act of risk, but a proud exercise of citizenship?
This is no longer theoretical. It’s happening in plain sight. Trump owns a growing empire of commercial products—media, crypto, apparel, even a branded mobile phone sold through a partner service provider. His economic and political interests are merging. He profits off his supporters while punishing his critics. If any other president had done even a fraction of this, the backlash would be explosive.
Yet here we are. Less than one year into his current term. With four more years ahead.
Are we still the land of the free if freedom of belief, expression, or affiliation puts you on a government watchlist? Are we truly united when only one worldview is permitted to participate in civil service?
Where is the outrage from those who once screamed about government overreach and loyalty tests? Where are the cries of tyranny now that the surveillance state wears red instead of blue?
The line between democracy and authoritarianism is not crossed all at once. It is edged across slowly, step by step, with each unchecked power grab and each silenced dissent.
We are closer than ever.
Liberty is slipping through our fingers.
Not because someone took it. But because too many people shrugged and said, "It’s fine."
It is not fine.
And if we do not speak now, we may not be allowed to speak later.