On this edition of Your Call, The Nation’s Sasha Abramsky discusses his new book, American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government.
Following the stories of eleven of the over 300,000 federal workers fired, laid off, or offered buyouts by DOGE in Trump’s second term, he explores the human costs of the irreparable damage done to the federal workforce.
Abramsky writes: "This book is titled American Carnage. It could just as well have been titled American Tragedy. For what unfolded in the first months of 2025 is a tragedy of historic proportions, one that will forever change, and ultimately diminish, the United States, both in how it views itself and in how the rest of the world perceives it."
What does the future hold for the federal agencies and employees that have been devastated by DOGE's cuts?
Guest:
Sasha Abramsky, western correspondent and weekly political columnist for The Nation, and author of eleven books, including American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government
Resources:
The Nation: How to Save a Democracy
NPR: Under Trump, 317,000 workers are out of the government. Here are 3 of their stories
The Washington Post: The year Trump broke the federal government
The New York Times: How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little?
