Donald Trump's destruction of the federal government continues apace with mass firings, forced resignations, and unending panic. Here are some of the latest moves: 300 Federal Aviation Administration workers fired; terrified Centers for Disease Control staffers; the military disrespecting Frederick Douglass, DOGE closer to accessing sensitive Social Security info; nearly 1,000 National Park Service dismissals.
For me, the current political purge increasingly feels like a contradictory, mind-splitting experience made obscene by social media. Consider that Saturday Night Live, a show I adored in high school, celebrated its big 50th anniversary this weekend. One second I'm relishing footage from this celebratory cultural event, the next I'm reading a horrifying headline that instills fear of fast-approaching travel plans. Pepper in some relentless Elon Musk disaster and you've got the makings of an absurd tragicomedy.
Is any of this legal? It looks like...no. But in a year when Mayor Eric Adams is smiling like he's absolutely getting away with it, I doubt the issue of legality matters much anymore.
—Inae Oh
