They Saved Taxpayers Billions. Trump Fired Them Anyway.
The Opinions13 Mar 2025

They Saved Taxpayers Billions. Trump Fired Them Anyway.

Inspectors general are our government watchdogs. They root out corruption and check for fraud and inefficiencies — all things President Trump has claimed to want to do. And yet, when he took office, he fired more than a dozen inspectors general without warning.

In this episode of The Opinions, we spoke to the reporter and filmmaker Francesca Trianni about her interviews with seven of these inspectors, their relationship to the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and why they’re worried about the future of American democracy.

To see the videos of the Inspectors General, go to nytimes.com.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Opinions” at nytimes.com/column/the-opinions.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. Edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. The show’s production team also includes Derek Arthur and Jillian Weinberger. Original music by Sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The Director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(271)

Was Tyra Banks the Villain? Or Were We?

Was Tyra Banks the Villain? Or Were We?

As millennials march into middle age, many are reconsidering the culture of their youth. A new Netflix documentary, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” is doing just that: exploring how ...

8 Mar 34min

One President’s Whim. A World in Crisis.

One President’s Whim. A World in Crisis.

Early last Saturday, President Trump announced that the United States had begun a major military operation against Iran. What followed has been a week of confusion, mixed messaging and rising casualti...

7 Mar 37min

Will Trump’s Failures Cost the G.O.P. in Texas?

Will Trump’s Failures Cost the G.O.P. in Texas?

The Texas Senate primary is three days away, and it’s a high-stakes race. With President Trump slumping in the polls and voters disenchanted with his handling of the economy, Democrats could have a sh...

28 Feb 34min

Trump's Tariffs Won't Save Workers from A.I.

Trump's Tariffs Won't Save Workers from A.I.

The Supreme Court’s decision striking down the Trump administration’s tariffs left the President fuming and with fewer weapons in his trade war arsenal. Opinion writers Binyamin Appelbaum and Emily Ba...

24 Feb 32min

Iran, Epstein and the Abuse of Power: Two Stories, One Pattern

Iran, Epstein and the Abuse of Power: Two Stories, One Pattern

Power — and the abuse of it — is defining the current news cycle. On this week’s round table of “The Opinions,” the Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Nicholas K...

21 Feb 32min

‘Skin Orgasms for Everyone’: Highlights of the Winter Olympics So Far

‘Skin Orgasms for Everyone’: Highlights of the Winter Olympics So Far

The Winter Olympics are underway, and all eyes are on Milan. In a round-table discussion, the Opinion editor Steve Stromberg speaks with the contributing writer Esau McCaulley, the writer and podcaste...

19 Feb 34min

Pam Bondi’s ‘Cage Match’ and Trump’s Fraying Coalition

Pam Bondi’s ‘Cage Match’ and Trump’s Fraying Coalition

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s combative testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this week offered a glimpse of what’s happening inside the Republican Party: a full-scale meltdown. In this round ...

14 Feb 39min

Trump and the Death of Shared Morality in America

Trump and the Death of Shared Morality in America

The columnist David Brooks’s 22-year tenure at The New York Times is coming to an end, and so the Conversation trio of Robert Siegel, E.J. Dionne Jr. and Brooks gather one last time to discuss Preside...

12 Feb 28min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
forklart
stopp-verden
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
det-store-bildet
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
fotballpodden-2
aftenbla-bla
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
rss-dannet-uten-piano
e24-podden
bt-dokumentar-2