With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and the executive branch, many Democrats are struggling to find work in a city now dominated by the GOP.
With President-elect Trump's inauguration just around the corner, thousands of President Obama’s appointees and hundreds of Clinton campaign staffers are looking to enter the D.C. job market—where the demand couldn’t be any lower, according to a report in Politico.
The Trump tornado is tearing up post-election planning around the Beltway. It’s not just that those 4,000 administration jobs are no longer available to Hillary for America alumni, or that failed Senate candidates like Russ Feingold and Katie McGinty won’t be able to hire their staff on the Hill. There are also the lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate government affairs offices that are pitching senior Obama aides’ resumes into the round file while scrambling to hire operatives with Republican connections.
It’s insult to injury for a generation of young operatives who are still managing their shock and grief from Hillary Clinton’s loss. And for those who want to fight to keep President Barack Obama’s legacy from being erased, there aren’t a lot of places ready to pay them to do it.
“It feels like there are just thousands of us trying to find a job, and there are no jobs,” longtime Clinton aide Mira Patel told Politico.
According to Julian Ha, who leads the government affairs and trade association practice at the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, the demand for Republicans, especially those close to people being chosen for key roles in Trump’s administration, is much more “robust.”
“Clients are all pivoting, and they’re all frankly trying to figure it out just like we all are right now,” he told Politico.
The report notes that many Obama loyalists are faring better out West in Silicon Valley, but Clinton aides continue to struggle, with one progressive career guru commenting on their palpable anger, frustration, anxiety and burnout.
To help each other out, Democrats are hosting jobs fairs in the city, while executives at Google have organized an online resume bank for Clinton and Obama alumni, encouraging 100 other companies like Facebook and Netflix to draw from it, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But this shouldn’t come as the surprise it is to these folks—wave elections are an occupational hazard of working in the Beltway. More seasoned Democrats even tried to warn the younger generation.
“Never count on a Democratic administration,” Patel remembered being told, reports Politico. “I was like, ‘Oh, come on, this is gonna be great.’”