“Drain the Swamp” might sound like just another empty campaign slogan to some, but for federal employees based in the nation’s capital, it may be about to get very real. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to start dispersing the many federal agencies based in DC across the country once back in office, and that’s likely no empty threat. After all, he has done it before – and it worked.
Trump and the Great Exodus
In 2020, then-President Trump moved the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Grand Junction, Colorado – almost 2,000 miles west. The move was initially billed as a way to get agency staffers closer to the lands they’re responsible for and to save money. Former officials from the Trump administration still argue the move boosted efficiency and attracted job applicants who weren’t interested in moving to DC, where…
