Exclusive: Gallego to bring fired federal security expert to Trump speech
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Kyle Rahn was one of many federal workers terminated during President Trump's mass federal workforce purge. Photo: Courtesy of Kyle Rahn via U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will bring a recently fired Arizona security expert for the Department of Homeland Security as his guest for Trump's address before Congress Tuesday.
Why it matters: Kyle Rahn's story — he was fired via email in February as part of President Trump's mass purge of federal workers — illustrates the individual impact of the Department of Government Efficiency layoff blitz.
- Politicians historically have used their plus-ones to presidential speeches to promote or protest federal policies.
What they're saying: Gallego said in a statement he invited Rahn because he wants Trump and his allies "to see the faces of the people their reckless chaos is hurting."
Zoom in: Rahn's role with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a division of DHS, was to ensure mega events and organizations of national importance were prepared for attacks or disasters, like active shooters or extreme weather.
- One of his final projects was orchestrating a training exercise for Major League Baseball stadiums to test team responses to potential terrorism attacks, like the vehicle ramming that occurred in New Orleans in early January, Rahn told us.
The intrigue: Rahn, a disabled U.S. Army veteran, worked as a civilian federal government employee for about five years before his dismissal, but was considered probationary because he'd been promoted from the Department of Defense to his role with CISA within the past year.
How it happened: Rahn told us he received a boilerplate email with the subject line "probationary termination decision" that said his service was no longer required by DHS. He was given 24 hours to complete in-progress assignments and a postal label to send back his equipment.
- Rahn said he received the email in the middle of a meeting with Churchill Downs about its upcoming Kentucky Derby preparedness training.
Threat level: Rahn told us his team was already running a nimble operation with seven employees. He said he's worried his firing — and others in the future — will force CISA to scale back on the security assistance it provides.
The big picture: The administration has not given a full tally of layoffs, but has indicated it plans to fire most probationary employees, of which there are about 220,000 nationwide.
- This week, the administration told federal agencies to prepare for more cuts in March.
What we're watching: Rahn said he hopes he can use his time in Washington, D.C., to explain the importance of CISA's work to politicians and federal officials and correct misinformation about federal workers generally.
- "We're not cartoon villains. We're hard-working American taxpayers," he said.
- He said he also hopes to advocate for other veterans who have used federal work as a method to continue their civil service.
What's next: He told us he'll get a job in the private sector to support his family for four years if he has to, but he will find a way back to public service.
- "I focus on protecting others. That's my passion," he said.
Editor's note: This story and headline have been corrected to note Trump's Tuesday speech is an address to Congress (not a State of the Union address).