| God grant us surcease from that kind of expertise. |
[Reuters] William Burns, former CIA director and veteran U.S. diplomat, on Wednesday issued a scathing rebuke of the Trump administration's mass firings of federal workers, saying they are aimed at stifling dissenting views and will harm U.S. security.
"Under the guise of reform, you all got caught in the crossfire of a retribution campaign - of a war on public service and expertise," Burns wrote in a "Letter to America's Discarded Public Servants" published in The Atlantic magazine.
| Crossfire, the man said. Is that one of those dogwhistle thingies so popular in leftwing circles? |
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Burns was CIA director under Democratic former President Joe Biden, and a foreign service officer. He served three Democratic and three Republican presidents. His career included stints as U.S. ambassador to Russia and deputy secretary of State.
Taking aim at U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping purge of federal workers, including State Department staff and U.S. intelligence officers, Burns said that civil servants recognize the need for serious government reforms.
"But there is a smart way and a dumb way to tackle reform, a humane way and an intentionally traumatizing way," he said. "This is not about reform. It's about retribution. It's about breaking people and breaking institutions by sowing fear and mistrust throughout our government."
| They keep saying retribution. It does not mean what they say it means. |
|