I want to tell you something — and God help us all if I’m wrong. As we go to bed wondering if Trump might act on his desire to overthrow the government, I tell you I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid because I have faith in the patriots who stand in his way. Let’s talk about them. /1

These are career civilian public servants, military officers and enlisted personnel who have taken an oath of allegiance to the Constitution. To an outsider, that may sound old fashioned, but they stand beside a flag, with their right hand raised, and they recite the oath. /2

I have personally administered this oath to some of these patriots. They take it seriously. This isn’t some Human Resources ritual like signing the employee manual. This is a pledge of allegiance to a nation of, by and for the people. They mean it. /3

Their allegiance is to this nation and not to some politician temporarily residing in government housing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. That’s why Trump hates them and lives in terror of some imaginary “deep state.” Their loyalty is alien and scary to people like Trump and Bannon. /4

Those two have cause to be scared, but not for the reason they think. This workforce is NOT, as they fantasize, trying to undermine Trump. Its members are trying to defend the Constitution, uphold the rule of law, and adhere to the government’s ethical principles. /5

(Side note: those ethical principles were written down by George H. W. Bush, so this is not some “liberal plot.”) That orientation toward faithful service makes them dangerous to a corrupter like Trump and an authoritarian “nationalist” (wink) like Bannon. /6

You see, the most important government ethics rules are the civil service rules that protect career public servants. Those rules don’t exist for the benefit of federal employees. They exist for our benefit. They make it possible to refuse illegal orders & report wrongdoing. /7

I’m not just talking about whistleblower laws, though those are part of this system. I’m also talking about the laws that give federal officials appeal rights if they’re fired. As for the military, I’m talking about a system that rigidly rejects politicizing their work. /8

These public servants are literally our last line of defense against an authoritarian. That’s worth thinking about. Nobody believes Trump’s aides said he can’t launch a coup because they thought it would be wrong. They said it because they knew career officials would refuse. /9

The career civilian and uniformed public servants would refuse to carry out the orders to facilitate his coup. Then, if they’re lucky, Trump’s aides would all go to jail for the rest of their lives. /10

But what if this workforce were loyal to Trump instead of to America? In that case, he could — and most certainly would — put an end to the republic. That is why he has railed against the phantasmagoric “deep state” and vilified public servants for four years. /11

His minions have expended much effort looking for the levers of power, the means to crush the civil service. They finally found a very significant lever in late October and prepared to gut key parts of the civil service. But it was too late. The clock ran out — this time. /12

But the next Republican administration will have Trump’s playbook and many of the same advisors. They’ll pick up where he left off. Then, the republic will face an even greater threat than it faces now—unless we shore up civil service protections. /13

That’s why I’m not worried about our clumsy authoritarian tonight but am focused on preventing a future one from succeeding where he failed. That begins by acknowledging the debt we owe to the civilian and uniformed public servants standing between us and authoritarianism. /14

We should let these patriots know we SEE them honoring the oath. We should support efforts to add new civil service protections, as a means of guarding the rule of law. We should call out those who amplify Republican attacks on public servants. /15

We should encourage smart people with strong ethical values to go into government and serve their country where they are most needed. And we should thank our lucky stars that so many have already answered that call. Their fidelity to the oath is why I’ll sleep well tonight. /16