{"id":2578141,"date":"2026-03-10T10:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-rush-to-reform-threatens-his-agenda\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T10:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:38:31","slug":"trumps-rush-to-reform-threatens-his-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trumps-rush-to-reform-threatens-his-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s rush to reform threatens his agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrumps-rush-to-reform-threatens-his-agenda%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2578141&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece argues that the Trump administration\u2019s rush to reform, while aimed at advancing conservative priorities, risks derailing its own agenda by applying broad, abrupt changes rather than targeted, strategic ones. It highlights two main examples. First, the Department of Government Efficiency experiment-lauded by fiscal conservatives-proved disruptive: dramatic spending cuts and a theatrical approach led to embarrassing actions, including the firing of hundreds of National Nuclear Security Administration employees, which was reversed when national-security concerns emerged. Second, the drive to dismantle \u201csocial engineering\u201d and DEI policies, including proposed reforms to the 8(a) Business Development Program, threatens to undermine strategic priorities and national-security-related interests, particularly in Alaska, where Alaska Native Corporations support critical minerals, missile defense, and other defense infrastructure. The article concedes that waste and fraud exist and that measured reforms-such as cutting needless Pentagon contracts-can advance the agenda without sacrificing core goals. It argues for a prudent, Burkean approach: carefully distinguish harmful DEI-driven initiatives from programs with real strategic value, protect Alaska Native Corporations\u2019 role, and pursue reform with a long-term view rather than radical, sweeping changes.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump&rsquo;s own worst enemy: President&rsquo;s rush to reform threatens his agenda<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2525156\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Any <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4483191\/white-house-report-card-donald-trump-big-gamble-iran\/\">honest accounting of the Trump presidency<\/a> from a conservative perspective will necessarily be mixed and a study in paradox. One of the greatest paradoxes of<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\"> the current administration<\/a> is that, in its rush to enact <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> ambitious agenda as quickly as possible, it risks derailing it.<\/p>\n<p>Two examples come to mind. The first is the president&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3228342\/department-of-government-efficiency-what-to-know\/\">Department of Government Efficiency<\/a> experiment. The concept was simple, and music to a conservative&rsquo;s ears: Reduce the actual size of government by cutting out the superfluous bits. Elon Musk was assigned the task and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3325397\/elon-musk-brandishes-chainsaw-cpac\/\">proceeded with a chainsaw<\/a> (literally and figuratively). Many examples of truly absurd government spending were identified, but the slapdash and theatrical manner also led to several embarrassments, such as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3320780\/sweeping-layoffs-hit-federal-energy-environment-employees-across-agencies\/\">firing of some 350 employees<\/a> of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3321455\/nnsa-nuclear-agency-fired-employees-termination-rescinded\/\">reversed the very next day<\/a> as someone realized that nuclear security might be essential even under a libertarian assessment of government&rsquo;s role.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4486173\/gavin-newsom-donald-trump-california-gas-prices\/\">Does delusional Gavin Newsom not realize his state has the highest gas prices in US?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4485241\/minnesota-fraud-debacle-demands-elected-watchdogs-every-state\/\">Minnesota&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/first-round-of-march-social-security-payments-goes-out-in-one-day\/\" title=\"First round of March Social Security payments goes out in one day\">fraud debacle demands elected watchdogs<\/a> in every state<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4485482\/world-war-iii-already-begun\/\">World War III isn&#8217;t on the horizon. It has already begun<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Ultimately, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3394541\/trump-100-day-report-card-grading-elon-musk-doge\/\">haphazard approach lost public support<\/a>, fizzled out, and set back the pursuit of that honorable goal at least a generation. Watch any attempt at responsible entitlement reform be tainted with the epithet of &ldquo;DOGE&rdquo; for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/faith-freedom-self-reliance\/3898725\/what-did-doge-accomplish\/\">WHAT DID DOGE ACCOMPLISH?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The second example stems from another worthy endeavor: dismantling the obsession with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4449267\/appeals-court-allows-trump-ban-dei-federal-government\/\">social engineering<\/a>, which is often couched in such terms as &ldquo;social justice&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\">diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a>.&rdquo; Among the most beneficial policies enacted by the Trump administration has been the reversal of these ideological instruments at the federal level.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Consider, for instance, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3311236\/in-final-days-biden-awarded-50-million-to-self-dealing-charity-leader\/\">Biden-era grant to the Climate Justice Alliance<\/a>. In March last year, the EPA under <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/epaleezeldin\/status\/1890080377940926637\">Trump canceled <\/a>a $50 million annual grant to this left-wing group whose own website states, I kid you not, that &ldquo;climate justice travels through a Free Palestine.&rdquo; Millions of federal taxpayer dollars had been flowing into a radical activist organization whose only concern with the environment was making sure it was conducive to supporting Palestinian terrorist activities in the Middle East. Expunging this grant was a proper reform.<\/p>\n<p>But, as with DOGE, reckless application risks obscuring priorities.<\/p>\n<p>The administration recently <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4455157\/sba-to-terminate-disadvantaged-status-150-dc-firms\/\">set its anti-DEI sights<\/a> on the Small Business Administration&rsquo;s 8(a) Business Development Program, created in 1978 to assist small businesses owned by disadvantaged people, mainly by fast-tracking access to federal contracting opportunities. Defense Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hstoday.us\/industry\/hegseth-orders-pentagon-review-of-sba-8a-contracting-program\/\">Pete Hegseth recently said<\/a> he would be &ldquo;taking a sledgehammer&rdquo; to the program.<\/p>\n<p>The 8(a) program has certainly seen its share of abuse. In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/usaid-official-and-thsmall,%20disadvantagedtives-plead-guilty-decade-long-bribery-scheme\">one recent case<\/a>, a USAID contracting officer took more than $1 million in bribes and favors to steer roughly $550 million in contracts to preferred 8(a)-linked vendors, turning a set&#8209;aside meant to help small disadvantaged firms into a pay&#8209;to&#8209;play pipeline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Given such an example of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/waste-and-fraud\">waste and fraud<\/a> in the program, coupled with the government&rsquo;s demonstrated proclivity for egalitarian excess, one can sympathize with Hegseth&rsquo;s rhetoric. But examining the details reveals that applying a sledgehammer may cause unintended dislocations that could obstruct the administration&rsquo;s higher strategic priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Among the worthiest beneficiaries of the 8(a) program that ought to be spared the sledgehammer are Alaska Native Corporations, added to the eligibility list in 1986.<\/p>\n<p>A few facts about Alaska are pertinent here: The state contains <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alaskasnewssource.com\/video\/2025\/03\/06\/after-trump-development-promise-alaska-geologist-says-state-has-49-50-critical-minerals\/\">49 of 50 critical minerals<\/a> the administration has identified as being of vital strategic importance; Alaska&rsquo;s location is particularly conducive to detecting and intercepting incoming missiles from adversaries, as well as to securing the Arctic, which the Russians (logically) and Chinese (curiously) have shown inordinate interest in; and there are accordingly a great many government contracts in the state involving the recovery of strategic minerals and the mounting of our national defense.<\/p>\n<p>It should come as no surprise that Alaska Native Corporations provide much of the manpower for these contracts. The Red Dragon Mine, one of the world&rsquo;s largest zinc mines, is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ussif.org\/research\/case-studies\/teck-resources-and-nana-red-dog-mine-case-study\">owned by NANA Regional Corporation<\/a>, an ANC. (Zinc is on the list of critical strategic minerals because it is highly resistant to corrosion and therefore indispensable in military applications). <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3476371\/trump-golden-dome-dream-protect-against-electromagnetic-pulses\/\">The Golden Dome<\/a> ballistic missile defense system <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kmxt.org\/news\/2026-02-18\/alaska-aerospace-alaska-native-corps-subsidiaries-on-missile-defense-contractor-list\">relies heavily on ANC contracts<\/a> to execute it. Fort Greeley, home to one of America&rsquo;s two ICBM interceptor bases, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.doyonutilities.com\/about\/fort-greely-utilities\/\">depends on ANCs<\/a> for several maintenance and logistical functions.<\/p>\n<p>One might wonder if these contracts could have been awarded without a government program. Perhaps, but it&rsquo;s a question asked four decades too late: The primary reason ANCs were added to the 8(a) eligibility list was because the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/ancsaregional.com\/about-ancsa\/\">abrogated aboriginal land claims<\/a> in exchange for land being transferred to Alaska Native Corporations, for the purpose of providing economic self-sufficiency. Congress decided in 1986 that the terms of the settlement could only be assured via the 8(a) mechanism. So stripping it now could expose corporations developing Alaska&rsquo;s natural resources to lawsuits by groups seeking claims to those resources, potentially granting legal muscle to those obnoxious &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-was-never-the-homeland-of-mexican-invaders\/\" title=\"California Was Never The &#039;Homeland&#039; Of Mexican Invaders\">stolen land&#038;rdquo<\/a>; proclamations one hears recited at awards shows.<\/p>\n<p>Done properly, reform can be constructive. When <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3377602\/pete-hegseth-5-billion-doge-cuts-defense-spending\/\">Hegseth terminated $5.1 billion in wasteful Pentagon contracts<\/a>, his memorandum identified specific problems, such as duplicative consulting contracts and others for non-essential activities, including DEI consulting and COVID-19 response services that were no longer relevant. This measured approach enacted reform that advanced the president&rsquo;s agenda rather than eroding it.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4473708\/trump-gop-lacks-midterm-legislative-agenda-state-union\/\">TRUMP-LED GOP LACKS CLEAR MIDTERM LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AFTER STATE OF THE UNION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Conversely, the proposed sledgehammer approach to the 8(a) program would achieve the opposite, disrupting strategic programs to make an ideological statement. Exercising the power to distinguish between harmful DEI initiatives and programs that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >serve concrete strategic purposes aligned<\/a> with the president&rsquo;s stated priorities would seem to be in order.<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives may wish to take guidance from Edmund Burke, the father of modern-day conservatism, who cautioned against rash, radical change and counseled prudence. The temptation for enacting massive reform by tomorrow morning is understandable, but conservatives ought to take a longer view and keep ultimate objectives in mind. Leave the chainsaws and sledgehammers to the ideologues of the Left.<\/p>\n<p><em>Kelly Sloan (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kvsloan25\">@KVSloan25<\/a>) is a Denver-based public affairs consultant and columnist.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump&#8217;s rush to reform risks wrecking his agenda<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4208,"featured_media":2578142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26034781731407-1.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3815,5894,4353,75471,3634],"class_list":["post-2578141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-agenda","tag-politics","tag-reform","tag-rush-2","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26034781731407-1.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578141"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2578145,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578141\/revisions\/2578145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2578142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}