President-elect Donald Trump arrives at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday.

President-elect Donald Trump arrives at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday. Evan Vucci/AP

Trump Promises Federal Agency Thank You Tour

President-elect knows public servants make sacrifices that go unrecognized, spokesman says.

President-elect Donald Trump is planning to tour federal agencies throughout government to thank employees for their service, a spokesman said Thursday.

Trump recognizes the sacrifices those in public service make, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, and will make it a priority to thank them. He said the enthusiasm to serve in government has grown significantly since the election of Trump, which inspired many people to want to go back into public service.

“You’re going to see a lot of activity not just the first week but the first month, the first year of making that a priority to thank so many of the people who serve our government,” Spicer said. He added that it would be not just “federal servants but people who volunteer their time in various ways to serve this nation, both paid and unpaid.”

Spicer said Trump will visit “a lot of the departments,” and the president-elect “continues to be humbled” by the work federal employees do. He said Trump recognizes they often do that work “without proper recognition for sacrifices they make.”

“So many of them could be making more in the private sector but they continue to serve this government,” Spicer said.

When Trump visits the departments, he will tell employees “how much he appreciates their service to our country, their commitment to enacting an agenda of change, and recognizes how much they really do for this country.”

Those newly inspired to sign up for federal service may have a hard time finding a job in the Trump administration, as the president-elect has vowed to institute an immediate, governmentwide hiring freeze. Spicer declined on Thursday to elaborate on the schedule for which executive orders Trump will sign, saying he is still sorting that out with his team.