Tim Tai, Senior Photographer

On a campus that overwhelmingly pledged its support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the general election, some Yalies are refining their job searches as President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-majority Congress prepare to take office. 

According to statistics from the Yale Career Management System, during the summer, at least 100 Yale College students worked in government — including posts on Capitol Hill, in the Biden-Harris White House and across several federal agencies. For liberal students hoping to contribute to Democratic legislative and administrative efforts, these staple opportunities are waning.

In January 2025, Republicans will maintain their majority in the House of Representatives and assume a majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, Trump has been at work designing a Cabinet that is poised to administer a hard-line conservative agenda. 

“If you’re an intern working in [Department of Justice] civil rights, or in any other office at the DOJ, the work that you’re doing should not depend on who’s in the White House,” said Gevin Reynolds LAW ’26. “I think what we saw during the first Trump administration, and what we’ve heard about Trump’s plans for a second administration, is that he will radically depart from that strong precedent of DOJ independence.”

Reynolds — who serves as the president of Yale Law Democrats — explained that some doors have closed for members of the club, including first-year Law School students who had hoped to pursue summer internships in the Department of Justice. He worries especially about the influence of Pam Bondi, Trump’s appointee for attorney general, a lawyer who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial and backed his false claims of wrongdoing in the 2020 election.

Mitch Zufelt LAW ’27, another Yale Law Democrats leader, echoed concerns about how “in-the-weeds” technical work in the federal administration, which should remain static between administrations, might be imperiled under Trump.

“A lot of folks in the Trumpian right are very interested in dismantling government institutions, there’s kind of an anti-institution sentiment there,” Zufelt said. “I’m concerned about how some of that technical work might just get cut completely, but in as much as it stays there, I wouldn’t expect that sort of thing to be tremendously impacted.”

Liberal students pursuing partisan legislative roles at the federal level will likewise have a smaller pool of job prospects.

Zach Pan ’27, treasurer of Yale College Democrats, worked in the Washington office of Rep. Jim Himes last summer. He plans to pursue another congressional internship this coming summer, keeping in mind that the Republican majority means there are fewer positions available — both for Democratic members and on committees.

He explained that it is difficult for progressive students to work for legislators whose agendas they don’t believe in.

“Historically, people have interns or [work for] members they don’t necessarily agree with,” Pan said. “But given the wide gulf between the two parties now and the fact that a lot of the moderate Republicans have lost, there’s very few people I see working for without compromising a lot of values I think are really important.”

Nonetheless, among the students the News spoke to, all were clear that they were no less enthusiastic about working in government following the election. For example, Zufelt described interest in working for state and local governments, where it may be easier to directly implement Democratic policy.

Pan also emphasized the importance of bipartisanship in policymaking. He highlighted issues like infrastructure and high prescription drug prices as opportunities to make meaningful progress in a Republican-majority Congress.

Jack Dozier ’27, communications director for Yale College Democrats, explained that the election does not deter his plans to work in the legislative sector. 

“I had hoped this summer to be working in a legislative body where we had at least one of the three majorities, but we don’t, and that’s okay,” Dozier said. “It’s still important to do the work, to put in the work, and to make sure that we make America a stronghold of democracy.”

Dozier has been volunteering with Democratic candidates since 2016. He thinks that campaigns may change who they decide to target messaging to, but that basic organizing tactics — conversations and canvassing — will remain important, especially as Virginia, Dozier’s home state, prepares for a gubernatorial election in 2025.

Among liberal Yale Law School students, potential internship sites include state attorneys general offices, public defenders and legal aid organizations.

“Our members are not simply throwing up their hands right now,” Reynolds said. “They’re not content with sitting on the sidelines when the rule of law, and so much of what we cherish in this country, seem to be under threat. Although there will be a change in the administration, there won’t be a change in our approach as Democrats to ensuring that our country moves forward.”

Trump will assume the presidency on Jan. 20.