The Trump Administration Wants to Frighten Would-Be Whistleblowers
The Trump administration is proposing a plan that would require federal workers to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to limit the sharing of confidential information. Critics argue that this move is intended to intimidate potential whistleblowers and suppress information about government misconduct. The proposal has raised concerns about its legality and potential violations of First Amendment rights.
- ▪The U.S. Office of Personnel Management published a draft proposal for NDAs across the executive branch.
- ▪The NDAs would prohibit federal workers from sharing non-public information, including with the press.
- ▪Legal experts believe the proposal could violate First Amendment protections and further intimidate federal employees.
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IdeasThe Trump Administration Wants to Frighten Would-Be WhistleblowersA proposal to push federal workers to sign nondisclosure agreements is part of a bigger effort to hide government secrets.By Quinta JurecicIllustration by The Atlantic. Source: CSA Images / Getty.June 1, 2026, 7 AM ET ShareSave Early in Donald Trump’s second term in office, the White House declared itself “the most transparent administration in history.” The federal government has continued to insist on this slogan, even as it has barred journalists from the Pentagon, administered polygraph tests in an effort to ferret out leakers, and fired independent inspectors general tasked with hunting down corruption and mismanagement.
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