In the US, under president Donald Trump, rapid assaults on civil servants' rights, including their rights to speak out about wrongdoing , are increasingly part of the administration's play for power. Shock tactics tend to work when the speed leaves observers too stunned to act.
Author
- Kate Kenny
Professor of Business and Society, University of Galway
But countering the paralysis, whistleblower supporters are organising . Civil society groups are collaborating to shore up workers' rights, challenge threats in the courts, and inform the public why it's important to protect whistleblowers. Their cool-headed approach shows what it takes to work together to preserve democratic freedoms.
Since January 2025, the Trump administration has assaulted federal workers' rights including whistleblowing protections. Key personnel are being fired, with thousands of other civil servants under threat of being reclassified as "at-will" workers who can be sacked at any time for any reason.
But the US needs whistleblower rights. In the past ten years alone, US government workers speaking out have protected citizens from a long list of ills. This includes food contamination, health risks, airline dangers and climate censorship. And they have called out managers for fraud and corruption.
Recent UK research demonstrates how listening to whistleblowers in some cases - including the Post Office scandal and the collapse of contractor Carillion - would have saved taxpayers nearly £400 million.
Functioning government bureaucracies, staffed by well-qualified, professional and independent civil servants, curtail attempts by politicians to control the state.
In the US, long-standing structures like the Pendleton Act of 1883 and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 , were put in place to ensure this. These laws insist government workers are hired and fired on the basis of skill and ability, not their political views. New employees take an oath of loyalty to the US constitution, not to the president.
Whistleblower protection is a critical part of ensuring this independence, because it enables civil servants to challenge abuses of power. But whistleblowers can only call out wrongdoing if they are protected from reprisal. Right now, these protections are under threat.
Shock and awe
Critics of the new US administration know all this. But the speed of change seems overwhelming. And the will to resist depletes, as people struggle to make sense of the constant disruption.
What to do with widely reported shows of anti-democratic aggression, like the recent appearance of senior Trump adviser Elon Musk on stage with a red chainsaw, shouting about a "chainsaw for bureaucracy"?
This is exactly the kind of chaotic, performative scene that stokes fascist passions, but leaves critics frozen.
Connecting such moves with Trump's aggression against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and trans citizens, US philosopher Judith Butler has warned that people can be stunned into inaction by increasingly shocking events. They stop seeing how they are connected.
What links these events, fundamentally, is contempt for ordinary US citizens' rights and for constitutional democracy. As Butler also says, it's important that citizens are not left immobilised by the outrage.
To counter the chaos, cool heads are needed. Supporters of whistleblower rights are pushing back. With partners, the nonprofit whistleblower organisation Government Accountability Project is suing Trump over the unconstitutional roll-back of federal worker protections. And civil society groups successfully challenged February's firing of the chief of the federal whistleblowing agency.
This kind of whistleblower activism has happened before in other parts of the world. In Europe, NGOs monitor countries' adoption of the new EU whistleblower protection law.
Organisations like the Whistleblowing International Network and the UNCAC coalition support civil society groups in countries around the world with new but fragile whistleblower protection systems introduced to support public trust and democratic accountability. These partnerships harness public opinion through the media and lobby for change. They come together in regular online events and forums to sustain momentum.
These coalitions of whistleblower activists have a history of working together, celebrating small wins and publicising each other's work.
As my recent book details, this collective activism is not easy. These organisations operate on limited funding. And in the face of disinformation on social media, defending truth and facts can be challenging. Yet as I found, strategising and collaborating can help counter aggressive opposition.
A shared commitment to democratic rights is what keeps coalitions of whistleblower activists going - they demonstrate passions for equality and the right to live without fear .
Trump is working to remake the federal government in the service of his political agenda. It is a classic move made by "strongman" leaders. They seize control of government bureaucracy in order to reward elite supporters, give favours and jobs to insiders, and weaken oversight on corruption.
Attacking government bureaucracy has been a first step in the power grab by authoritarian leaders worldwide, from Hungary to Benin , Turkey and Venezuela .
Working with his largest election donor Elon Musk, who already owns businesses benefiting from government contracts, Trump's aggressive overhaul of the federal government radically dilutes the potential for dissenting workers to speak out in protest.
It is tempting to remain paralysed in the face of daily attempts to roll back workers' rights. But through their dedication, mutual support and celebration of even small wins, international collectives of whistleblower activists remind us that there is a way forward and why it's vital to keep going.
Kate Kenny has in the past and at different times engaged in research funded by organizations including: the EU Commission, ESRC UK, the British Academy, Harvard University, Science Foundation Ireland and Leverhulme Trust.
