108 Comments

Thank you for tracking & updating this important story. Instead of reducing fraud & waste, firing IGs allows the Trump administration to corrupt the agencies the IGs formerly inspected. I suspect the purpose is to benefit the oligarchy that is emerging to control the federal government.

Please consider the following editorial suggestion: separate the facts reported from analysis, & then further separate opinions, commentary, & speculation drawn from the facts & analysis. In this age of disinformation, such explicit separation helps clarify facts from fiction, reasoned analysis from hysteria, and thoughtful opinion from vitriol.

Thanks again for your work.

Expand full comment

Gilbert, Jen Rubin writes opinion pieces and has for years. She adds facts to support her opinions. That’s her style and it is effective.

Reuters and AP News is a great place to get facts only news as another source.

Expand full comment

I would also include the Guardian as a great source for news.

Expand full comment

And that reason alone is getting AP barred from the press conferences. The truth is not on Trumps agenda.

Expand full comment

I understand that she is an opinion writer. However, to distinguish The Contrarian from other news/opinion sources, I offer this humble suggestion - at least for a portion of their pieces. Having sections labeled as "facts", "analysis", and "opinion/commentary" helps clarify in a time when the news-scape is filled with smoke.

Expand full comment

Thanks for this comment, Gilbert. I've also wanted to ask The Contrarians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric specifically because I try to use verifiable facts to logically debate and dispute the hyperbolic soundbites of right and far right media.

The smart, talented, and experienced Contrarians can be a reliable source to present to people however it's not helpful if data and analysis stray into emotionally-charged vitriol because then neighbors and family members who espouse MAGA views focus on the hyperbole, attribute it to leftist hysteria, and feel righteously victimized.

We're in this sorry state for a myriad of reasons. One of which is Trump's ability to manipulate people through emotions to accepting what they never would otherwise (Jan. 6th rioters' pardons and commutations, inexperienced Cabinet members with substance use histories, unelected, unqualified billionaires with govt. contracts 'auditing' sensitive government data, the list goes on). The facts are damning enough. Let's find effective ways to distribute them and rally as many people as possible against authoritarian lawlessness. Thanks for your work.

Expand full comment

I cannot imagine who you are debating is truly.concerned or convinced purely by facts. Trump and Co. make up their own facts.

Expand full comment

Is Elon Musk on the government payroll? If so what is he being paid? He is not legitimately elected or nominated so really he could be considered an appointed obstructionist. If that isn’t a reason to call such an action by a president a high crime or misdemeanor then I don’t know what is? A way to get around congress. Trump is a criminal who is getting away with something similar to what he was convicted on in the New York case. Altering the books. Unfortunately many people don’t see this they Oh he’s just getting rid of government waste. What they are not seeing is the way he’s gone about doing it. They’re blind to the unconstitutionality of it. As for the IG’s , I hope they are reinstated soon.

Expand full comment

Elon Musk has been feeding at the government trough for decades and never would have gotten Tesla Inc. of the ground without substantial government monies. He also is a huge defense contractor and up to his armpits in contracts with NASA. Probably more. To say he has conflicts of interest is to miss the point. He's a criminal disruptor and enemy of these United States, just like our Felon In Chief, his 'Don.'

Expand full comment

This is exactly the reason the Founding Fathers included the native-born requirement to be president. President Musk has no loyalty to anything but his money. Unfortunately, the same can be said for VP tRump.

Expand full comment

Unfortunately, the Founding Fathers never thought of the scenario where the President could be bought by a non-native born individual, or anyone else, for that matter. We desperately need campaign and judicial reform to determine that the situation that we have today cannot ever happen again.

Expand full comment

And VP JD Sofa Loren

Expand full comment

Musk is sort of a South African welfare queen to borrow from a Regan era slur,

Expand full comment

Musk is a corporate welfare queen.

Expand full comment

I don’t expect the IGs to be re-instated, but if they are their operations will likely be gutted by the “government reform” (destruction of the civil service) that President Musk is carrying out. And just as criminal is the complicity of every republican in Congress. History will not be kind to them nor to the corporate oligarchs that are participating—or standing idly by as the wrecking ball destroys our country.

Expand full comment

We need to collectively and repeatedly place the blame at the feet of the complicit and depraved GOP reps who are violating their oaths of office every single day.

Expand full comment

Or maybe the 5 million Dems who couldn’t be bothered enough to show up and vote last Movember?

Expand full comment

Repeating the lie "President Musk" preys on the Josef Goebbels point that if a lie is told for long enough that it will be believed. We must cease doing this forthwith. It's also normalising a totally abnormal situation. Musk is an offensive operative installed by a corrupt president.

Expand full comment

Excellent point. You’re right.

Expand full comment

Thank you. It seems obvious.

Expand full comment

I have seen posts from political sources saying Musk is being paid $7 or $8 million per day but have not gone to see if I can find corroboration of this.

Expand full comment

I also heard something about the $8 million a day for Musk, but I think it was in regard to what his various government contracts bring to his businesses.

Expand full comment

No, I think this is what he's being paid to destroy our government. And now he's into the IRS!!!

Expand full comment

They both need to be arrested as traitors. Unfortunately, that leaves Vance as Pres. , who is also a traitor.

Expand full comment

Forget this. We (America) now (as I write) are being taken over by organized insurrectionists. We now have an Autocratic Fascist in the White House. Many in congress now are actively implementing Project 2025.

The Justice Department needs to go on the offensive now. Or, the way I see it, America will lose democracy and become another Fascist state.

Expand full comment

Too late.

Expand full comment

The significance of firing of x# of IGs is hard for the public to grasp. Introducing the People who were fired, and noting their good work , is far more powerful. Thank you!

Expand full comment

I agree that many people don’t understand the significance of IG firings. Somehow we have to make the consequences clear using down to earth language and powerful, relatable examples. For this and pretty much all else! Think this is where Dems and friends have screwed up big time.

Expand full comment

Quit blaming thr Dems. We need to focus on what a terrible job Trimp, Musk and his little posse are doing in regard to " waste, fraud and abuse". As Rubin points out thr Inspectors General have produced impressive work and saved the government and taxpayers so much money.

Expand full comment

The organized — and premeditated —attack against these IGs only proves beyond a reasonable doubt that ‘cutting waste, fraud and abuse’ was the very LAST thing on the minds of the Musk-Trump cabal. They did it to AMPLIFY corruption, not to control it. That’s the whole point of a power grab.

Not mentioned in this praise of their work is the law governing their activities. Passed by Congress at President Carter’s urging, it forbids a President from removing an IG without cause. None of Trump’s firings gave cause. All of them are therefore illegal.

And don’t think for a second this was some sort of spontaneous temper tantrum the Manchurian Cantaloupe suddenly threw. This had all been carefully planned ahead of time.

The above is already grounds for impeachment. Any bets on when those brave Republicans on the House Judiciary will introduce articles and call for hearings?

🤣🤪🤣

Expand full comment

Hats off to the IGs deposed by tyranny, who refused to go down without a fight!

Expand full comment

On February 12, 2025, Susan Collins is quoted by USA Today that she is receiving positive and negative communications from her constituents. She posed it as business as usual, nothing to see here. Then she voted for Tulsi Gabbard and Robert Kennedy. Blowing past any concerns by her constituents or her fellow Maine Senator Angus King. Not one ounce of humility after her votes during the last Trump administration backfired. This article is a prime example of the damage Trump is wielding and evidence he really doesn't care about government efficiency. I am so tired of watching Republican members of Congress admitting to nothing. Either they are really gullible/dumb or they are greedy and power hungry. They have ceded any other interpretation. And we all pay the price.

Expand full comment

She is such a whiny loser. The people of Maine deserve better then having a manipulative con woman like her. At least the majority of the cowardly Republicans just vote in the affirmative without comment she tries to project this image of one who votes after credible consideration of the qualifications of each nominee. Give me a break.

Expand full comment

If the people of Maine do indeed deserve better they need to rethink voting for Collins.

Expand full comment

She's sickening. She always plays both sides but always sides with the one side--the WRONG side.

Expand full comment

REALLY appreciate this story. There's NO need for the corrupt, illegal 'DOGE' scam Musk is running. Congress has constitutional authority over the budget, the power of oversight of government agencies, and is required to keep tabs on federal expenditures. The IGs in each agency have been doing the work DOGE only claims to do for decades. Thank you for ripping the mask off of this 'government efficiency' scam.

Expand full comment

I recall an old saying “Before you try to change something, make sure you understand it.”

Rick Perry comes to mind, who campaigned on doing away with the department of energy. Then trump made him secretary of energy. Then Perry said, “Gee I didn’t know they did all that.”

Expand full comment

It's all about seizing power whatever the cost. Thank you for these important details about the crucial work of IGs, now effectively and tragically disabled.

Expand full comment

How to get all this crucial information into the ears of people who voted for Trump?

Expand full comment

I would suggest that they go on Joe Rogan's show.

Expand full comment

Would Rogan invite them, and would he give them a fair hearing?

Expand full comment

Make note from Substack, reshape. I don't know that diehard Trump supporters can be reached, but independent leaning voters are worth trying to reach.

Expand full comment

Into the ears and BRAINS of Trump voters, that is. : > )

Expand full comment

"The IG firings and lawsuit reveal that Musk/Trump either have no idea how to root out waste, fraud, and abuse (e.g. by deploying skilled IGs to investigate and nominating competent people), or that the new clique is interested in disabling government regardless of the harm inflicted on people."

I think it's both. They are arrogant, ignorant, and utterly lacking in empathy. Let's hope the courts side with the Inspectors General.

Expand full comment

Their purpose is to cover up their own waste, fraud, and abuse.

Expand full comment

Mindless dismantling of IG's who are practiced in uncovering waste and fraud systematically to be replaced by the Musk-Trump Ready, Fire, Aim Crew while putting all Americans at risk for fraud and waste by their own operators. Anything wrong with that picture? Just Everything!

Expand full comment

When this is over, assuming the country survives it intact, we could do with a monument to the work of the IGs. Thanks for spotlighting them in this piece.

Expand full comment

The tRump Regime is setting up chaos and anarchy and think they are positioned to profiteer off of it. They may be right... I still have not seen where the suspended/impounded funds have started to be released again. The courts are wholly unprepared and simply too slow to have much effect on the coup in progress.

Expand full comment

It's very simple to understand: Trump and Musk don't want the IGs watching their abuse of the system, and it is up to us to shine a very bright light on their corrupt activities.

After all, you would expect the likes of such activities from a convicted felon and his rudderless bro with multiple government contracts from which he can milk funds.

Expand full comment

Thank you! Cogent and straightforward.

Expand full comment