Truman's Federal Employee Loyalty-Screening Program

Truman's Federal Employee Loyalty-Screening Program was invoked by Harry S. Truman during the 1948 presidential campaign as evidence that the federal workforce was not endangered by Communist infiltration. Its documented role here is political as well as administrative: Truman used the program’s reported result to answer attacks on his government and to challenge his opponents’ claims about national security.

The Program as Campaign Evidence

At a major campaign speech in Oklahoma City, Truman said that his Loyalty Program had proven the loyalty of 99.7 percent of federal workers. The figure was presented as a defense of the employees under scrutiny and as evidence against the charge that Communist infiltration threatened the government. The account records Truman’s assertion; it does not describe the screening procedures behind the program or independently establish how the percentage was calculated.

Political Context and Use

Truman placed the loyalty claim within a broader argument about the election campaign. He characterized Republican accusations of Communist influence as a diversion from domestic problems, including housing, price controls, and education. In his framing, programs such as the Loyalty Program, the Truman Doctrine, and the Marshall Plan—not electioneering charges—were the substantive means by which his administration addressed the Communist challenge.

Public Presentation and Significance

The Oklahoma City address drew a large audience, and the Democratic National Committee considered it important enough to pay for nationwide radio time despite its limited funds. The program thus served as a concrete statistic in a highly public campaign defense: Truman presented the reported 99.7 percent figure to argue both that federal workers were loyal and that his administration was acting against the danger its opponents claimed to expose. The evidence establishes this public use of the program, but does not provide detail about its administration or consequences for individual employees.