This is an opinion cartoon.

“Ready Fire Aim is a lousy way to govern.” – Mark Cuban

DOGE isn’t about about efficiency – it’s about cruelty. And the group feeling it the most are those who have selflessly defended what Trump dares to destroy.

The democracy death march continues in the Trump-Musk authoritarian oligarchy. Veterans are caught in the shamefully reckless unfriendly fire.

From the Rolling Stone story: DOGE is a cruel joke. The punchline is making life hell for veterans

While Trump’s government proudly touts its “savings,” the reality is that DOGE’s cuts are built on lies, mismanagement, and outright cruelty. The New York Times recently exposed how the department grossly inflated five of its largest cost-cutting claims, citing billions in savings that were either fictional, exaggerated, or predated the organization’s existence. Then it outright deleted these claims from its website.

The number of veterans losing their jobs is damning. Among the 3,700 or so VA employees fired were specialists in PTSD treatment, oncology researchers, and crisis line staffers. One veteran, a suicide prevention counselor, was let go with nothing more than a generic email. Another, a disabled former Army sergeant working in claims processing, was terminated just before his probationary period ended, cutting off his ability to join a union and fight back. Congress estimates that 6,000 veterans have been fired by DOGE, but this number is low. Many former military officers and others do not qualify for veteran status under federal guidelines, even though they are in fact veterans.

Check out an excerpt from Dan Rather’s substack column: Trump’s most dangerous move yet?

If you’re looking for a legitimate reason for the firings, good luck. Here’s the bottom line: Trump purged the U.S. military leadership of officers he believes are loyal to the Constitution, instead of to him personally. This is a very big deal, with short- and long- term consequences for America’s defense.

Beginning last Friday, Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown Jr. The dubious firings continued with five additional high-level terminations, including the Navy’s top admiral and the Air Force vice chief of staff. Trump’s endgame has become blatantly obvious across the executive branch and the military: be unblinkingly loyal to me or be fired.

Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe

JD Crowe is the cartoonist for AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler at [email protected].

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