Secret Trump Loyalty Test for U.S. Diplomats Revealed

REUTERS/Kylie Cooper State Department officials seeking career advancement are facing partisan political screenings, with top agency brass asking candidates who they voted for in presidential elections, according to insiders.

Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, diplomats hoping to climb the mid-to-upper foreign service ranks face an ideological litmus test, the Washington Sun reports.

Agency officials made clear that voting for President Donald Trump is effectively a prerequisite for promotion, warning applicants that past campaign contributions to Democrats are grounds for disqualification, the publication stated, citing sources.

Six current and former State Department sources confirmed the partisan line of questioning, with three revealing they spoke directly with officers subjected to the interrogation.

Federal law explicitly forbids evaluating career personnel based on political affiliation, but the administration is pressing ahead anyway, the report says.

A State Department spokesperson refused to address the voting questions directly to The Sun, instead delivering a sermon on “fidelity.” “Fidelity means upholding the Constitution and the law and executing policy with loyalty to the American people and their interests,” the spokesperson said.

“It emphasizes the critical importance of service, integrity, and policy alignment across the Foreign Service.

It is not about partisan behavior but rather about executing the president’s vision for foreign policy.” The spokesperson added that Rubio has prioritized merit and rewarding “demonstrated performance on behalf of administration priorities” in promoting career staff into leadership positions.

When approached by the Daily Beast, spokesperson Tommy Pigott added: “Secretary Rubio values candid insights from patriotic Americans who have chosen to serve their country.

What we will not tolerate is people using their positions to actively undermine the duly elected President’s objectives.” “Those bureaucrats who are complaining to the press prove the point that they shouldn’t have, and can’t be, trusted with sensitive information.” The push to purge nonpartisan ranks builds on policy shifts that added new promotion metrics, evaluating officers on their “fidelity” to “protecting and promoting executive power” and “zealously executing USG policy.” Entry exams have already taken an ideological turn.

One test-taker reported facing questions about former President Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts and the achievements of Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

“There was just something about the test that made it seem like they weren’t looking for the highest scores but people who answered a certain way on specific questions,” the candidate said.

Congressional Democrats are preparing a sweeping inquiry.