On Wednesday, the White House announced an executive order reclassifying around 8,000 federal workers in public health agencies, including roles such as epidemiologists and toxicologists, from civil service positions to 'at-will' employees. This change allows these workers to be dismissed without cause, effectively stripping them of protections against political interference. The order, which reflects President Donald Trump’s long-standing concerns about a 'deep state' within federal agencies, mandates that 'policy-influencing positions' be transferred to this new status to ensure that employees can be removed for misconduct or poor performance. However, the directive has drawn criticism and faces at least three legal challenges from federal employees. Additionally, the administration plans to implement a political loyalty questionnaire for new federal hires in 2025. Concerns have been raised about the implications of this order on various roles, including those not directly involved in policy-making, such as human resources and data management specialists, potentially affecting the integrity of scientific oversight within health agencies.