In what sounds more like a deleted scene from The Handmaid’s Tale than actual federal policy, President Donald Trump is reportedly requiring Department of Defense (DOD) employees to sign a loyalty pledge—and write a two-page essay praising his administration. Yes, really.
The bombshell dropped during a June 2025 CNN town hall hosted by Jim Acosta, when a visibly frustrated audience member—who identified herself as a military spouse, veteran, and current DOD employee—told the room she received an email just days earlier mandating both a loyalty pledge and a personal essay about support for the Trump administration.
