Trump’s Hiring Freeze Is Screwing Over Veterans

As I have predicted in previous columns for Rolling Stone, the Trump administration will shatter the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of veterans. It’s already happening, and we’re only in the first week of his second term.

Veterans have long relied on the federal government as a pathway to stable employment after military service. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies provide not just jobs, but purpose — continuing the mission of serving fellow service members and ensuring that those who sacrificed for their country are cared for. But now, thanks to Trump’s reckless 90-day federal hiring freeze, that lifeline is gone. The very veterans he once claimed to champion are being left in the cold, their futures uncertain.

I’m part of a Facebook group called Veterans 2 Federal Jobs, a community where veterans help one another navigate the complex federal hiring process. Over the years, I’ve seen this group lift up thousands of veterans, providing guidance, encouragement, and resources. But since Trump’s executive order was signed, the tone has changed dramatically. Instead of sharing success stories and interview tips, the group is now flooded with messages of dread, anxiety, PTSD flare-ups, and outright desperation.

Hundreds of messages have poured in. Some veterans are looking for help, others are simply venting their despair. Many had promising federal careers lined up — only to have the rug pulled out from under them. Dré Joseph, a veteran in the group, shared three rejection letters he received from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government’s hiring hub:

“Dear Mr. Joseph, As directed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, via Presidential Memorandum (PM) entitled ‘Hiring Freeze,’ we regret to inform you this recruitment is cancelled. If an exemption is approved for this recruitment, you may be notified; otherwise, any future opportunities will be advertised on VA Careers and USAJOBS.”

Editor’s picks

The same message followed for his other two applications. Three federal job opportunities gone in an instant. And he’s not alone.

Another veteran posted:

“Well, my interview for a position with DoD just got canceled. Recruitment Cancelled due to Federal Hiring Freeze: Supervisory Management & Program Analyst (Announcement Number: CBFF-12545121-24-CLV).”

These aren’t just numbers or statistics. These are real people who served their country — some for decades — now being told that their service, their sacrifice, means nothing to the Trump administration.

The hiring freeze doesn’t just hurt veterans looking for jobs; it also threatens the quality of care they receive. The VA is already understaffed, facing a $6.6 billion budget shortfall by the end of fiscal year 2025. Medical professionals, crisis hotline responders, and claims processors are desperately needed to keep the VA running. Now, with hiring frozen, those vacancies will remain unfilled.

That means doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals — already stretched thin — will be unable to keep up with demand. 

The consequences will be catastrophic. Veterans will wait longer for care, disability claims will pile up, and crisis lines — lifelines for veterans on the brink — will be understaffed. For veterans battling PTSD, depression, or suicidal thoughts, delays in care aren’t just an inconvenience — they’re a death sentence.

For disabled veterans, the hiring freeze is an even deeper betrayal. Many depend on federal employment opportunities because their disabilities make it difficult to work in the private sector. Programs like the Schedule A hiring authority and the Veterans’ Preference system have historically provided a pathway to meaningful employment that accommodates their medical needs. By freezing hiring, Trump is cutting off a vital source of stability for those who need it most. These veterans — many already struggling with chronic pain, PTSD, and mobility impairments — now face even greater uncertainty. The very system designed to support them is instead shutting them out of employment and the economic security it provides.  

Related Content

Adding to this harm, Trump also rescinded Executive Order 11246, signed by President Johnson in 1965, which required government contractors to provide equal opportunity in recruitment, hiring, training, and other employment practices for women and people of color. This rollback disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including the 30 percent of veteran applicants who would have benefited from these protections.

For all his grandstanding about supporting the troops, Trump’s actions tell a different story. 

With this hiring freeze, Trump is actively harming veterans in real time. The administration claims the freeze is a ”prudent step” to assess federal employment, but let’s be clear: this is a manufactured crisis. The VA has struggled with staffing shortages for years, and a hiring freeze doesn’t fix anything — it only makes the problem worse. The median time to fill a federal position is around 100 days, meaning Trump’s hiring freeze will keep veterans locked out of federal employment for much of the year. Worse still, the VA will be forced to put veteran care on the backburner until at least 2026 if the freeze is lifted.

Adding to the concern, Trump’s own guidance on the freeze makes it clear that hiring is unlikely to resume anytime soon. The memorandum directs agencies to “submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition.” In other words, the administration isn’t just pausing hiring — it’s laying the groundwork to shrink the federal workforce permanently, leaving veterans without the support and opportunities they need. The freeze is just the latest in a long line of betrayals of America’s veterans.

Conveniently, the hiring freeze does not apply to Trump’s White House.