News Flash: Trump Doesn’t Like Oversight

Here’s a conversation about Trump’s firing the Inspector General overseeing the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. Jeff is a friend from my school days.

Jeff: President Trump fired another Inspector General today. Glenn Fine was acting IG of the Department of Defense and Chair of the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. Fine was a year or two ahead of me at Harvard. He is a Cheltenham High graduate, a Rhodes Scholar, and, despite being only 5’9″ was drafted by the Spurs before heading to Oxford. He was up to the task of overseeing massive spending.

Stephen: He should fire them all. I’m sure he regrets not firing all of them his first week in office. I was particularly glad to see ICIG Atkinson, loyal member of the Resistance that he was, sent packing. What is it with Swamp members that they can’t accept the results of an election?

Jeff: Interesting take. Do you believe that the role of the inspector general is to turn a blind eye to anything done by the President. Their mandate is to be an “independent entity whose mission is to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in DOJ programs and personnel, and to promote economy and efficiency in those programs.” And I thought he was the one who appointed Atkinson. Is that fake news? What has Fine done that has so incensed you?

Craig: I had to laugh when I read this. You apparently think you can reason with someone who thinks whistleblowers and people assigned to oversee Trump’s activities are part of the “Swamp.” Sorry to break it to you, but, that’s not going to fly. And I didn’t even have to go to Harvard to see that. 🙂