Federal layoffs outrage the left. I'm glad America's overlords are being fired. | Opinion
Protesters dislike Tesla CEO Elon Musk so much that they want a company that employs tens of thousands of Americans to fail.
Talk about selective − and revealing − outrage.
Democrats and their media allies are filled with indignation about President Donald Trump’s ongoing bureaucratic firing spree, which has left thousands of government employees unemployed.
But where was the same moral fury five years ago, when tens of millions of Americans were forced out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic? Those ordinary Americans were denied the same sympathy and support that the left has bestowed on laid-off government workers.
I was serving as a Wisconsin state senator when the pandemic hit in March 2020, and from the start, I was shocked by the utter lack of concern that liberal leaders showed to everyday Americans. If only those Americans had worked for the federal government. Then, perhaps, the left would have taken their side.
Democrats defend government inefficiency
The moment Trump began the layoffs, Democrats sprang to bureaucrats’ defense. They told us that slimming down bloated agencies is unconstitutional.
The left also claims that Trump is slashing jobs that America and the world can’t do without.
And they've doubled down on their insulting attitude toward regular people.
Look no further than their rage against Tesla. Minnesota Gov. and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and legions of liberal activists have openly rooted for the demise of an American company famous for its innovation.
Progressives cheer for Tesla's failure
They dislike Tesla CEO Elon Musk so much that they want a company that employs tens of thousands of Americans to fail.
Where’s the concern for the people who depend on Tesla for their paychecks? They’re ignored by liberal politicians, who are far more concerned with bureaucrats who are dependent on taxpayers.
In "Animal Farm," George Orwell wrote that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
It’s hard not to conclude that Democrats and the news media look at Americans in the same way. They talk a big game about protecting the working class, but they choose to protect federal workers who on average are paid much higher and receive much better benefits than most other Americans.
For the left, Americans are equal, but the most equal Americans are the unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who fund diversity, equity and inclusion programs and a LGBTQ+ comic book in foreign countries.
You’ll excuse me if I, like most people, don’t share the left’s outrage that the country’s longtime overlords are finally the ones losing their jobs.
David Craig, a former Wisconsin state senator and representative, is legal director at the Foundation for Government Accountability.