The Witness Chronicles, 1/28/25
Inspector generals work for us, not Trump
The Reality Behind the Inspector General Firings
Trump does not want scrutiny of his actions in the agencies
Trump’s firing of at least twelve Inspectors General on Friday may seem like a wonky insider thing but there is far more to it than simply clearing out people Trump doesn’t like. What he doesn’t like is capable people telling the American public what Trump is doing across the government.
Inspector Generals (IGs) are corruption watchdogs and removing them is a blatant indicator that the Trump administration is likely planning to actually commit corrupt acts in their scorched earth approach to governing, if you can call it that.
This is not a novel opinion. Trump himself has an extensive history of questionable financial actions and was found guilty of 34 felony counts by a unaminious jury of his peers involving his businesses. He has made it clear that he has never believed the law applies to him.
IGs represent the interests of the citizens of the US rather than political lackeys. They are our witnesses within government agencies and their presence is inconvenient to a President who may be planning actions questionable in terms of the law.
These twelve, if that is the actual number, are the canaries in the coal mine, there to save miners from poisonous gas. If you’re taking over a mine that is dangerous, and you have no scruples, you’d probably get rid of the canaries, which is what we witnessed Friday night.
There are around 70 IGs in total, spread across government agencies. The question is, how many more will go? But these firings are just a small part of the blizzard of executive orders, some 350 already, designed to confuse and hide the most dangerous actions of this administration.
There are so many and they are coming so fast by design. It will take legal experts and historians years to sort out their effects and implications. The IG firings, which by law require 30 days notice to Congress before they can be done, are illegal, just another example of a President with no respect for the rule of law.
The rule of law is the only thing that keeps a democracy from disintegrating and that can happen very fast when the leader has no respect for it. It’s not paranoia on my part, it’s a reality we are watching unfold in real time right now.
I am highlighting this because it is a prime example of how a dictator claims ultimate power as fast as possible by any means necessary, which is exactly what we are witnessing.
It’s easy for an action like this firing to be seen as a wonky thing that hits the news for a day or two and then fades into the background. That is also by design and this is just one major change being hidden this way. We can expect many more changes that are hidden by their boringness.
We currently have a Congress that is nonfunctional, riven by extremists who disagree with other extremists and who are not currently doing their most important job, which is serving as a check and balance to the actions of the other arms of the government, the judicial and the executive, the courts and the President.
Trump has effectively nullified those checks and balances with the help,of the Supreme Court. But he is very aware that his time to solidify this is very limited, likely about eighteen months until the midterm elections click in. There is a lot of talk out there about how we can build a resistance to the things we are witnessing every day of this new administration.
One key, I believe, to resistance is to decode what these people are doing and then go to his supporters and help them understand that he does not give a damn about them. After all he has nothing to lose and no longer needs MAGA for anything other than the attention they offer him at rallies.
Converting true believers is practically impossible but converting their leadership may be a little easier as their personal interests are affected. Unfortunately it is my observation that the Democratic Party is in a kind of collective shock that has effectively paralyzed them, at least temporarily.
The Republican Party is effectively hypnotized by their belief that Trump will share power, a fantasy that will start to fall to pieces as their leaders realize Donald Trump cares nothing for them or their goals. That may be my fantasy but I think we will see people start to wake up as his actions become more and more extreme, if that is possible.
Those canaries in the coal mine are being silenced which means we are in danger, all of us, left or right. Trump has no loyalty to anyone other than himself, something his own people inevitably discover the longer they are around. That may be his downfall, if he lives to see it.
Want to help me keep this going?:
Small one time donations: Buy Me A Coffee.
Subscribe to this personal growth journal: The Remarkable
Upgrade to paid for this take on the greater political and environmental world: The Witness Chronicles (see below)
Thank you,
Martin Edic