Casualty of Integrity
It’s easy to support someone who is consistent.
It’s hard to support someone who lacks integrity.
Let me put you through a compare and contrast lesson.
Consistency and integrity are both seen as strengths. They both involve predictability and affect leadership.
However, consistency is about repetition, while integrity is about righteousness. Consistency can exist without integrity, and sometimes, integrity requires change.
That is the basis and justification for this message.
Donald Trump is very consistent.
Donald Trump lacks integrity.
Donald Trump has fired several people who hold a very specific position in our government. The Inspector General, who is responsible for overseeing investigations into federal agencies. Trump got rid of every single one of them who was investigating him or Elon Musk.
And before you hit me with that "Deep State" talk, let’s revisit consistency and integrity.
Trump has been consistent in firing people. “You’re Fired” was literally his catchphrase before Make America Great Again. He also consistently answers to no one. Although he often confused the role of the presidency as something higher and mightier, there are still checks and balances in place.
Let’s use an analogy.
Imagine you enrolled your 2-year-old daughter into a daycare. One of the deciding factors for choosing this school was the security cameras—you could check in on her at any point in the day.
Then, a new director takes over the program and removes the cameras because they helped two families win lawsuits in the past five years.
How would you respond?
See, I think we’re guided by the wrong people and asking the wrong questions. Things aren’t all bad, and things aren’t all good. But there is a lack of both consistency and integrity in how the government is being dismantled.
No one would argue against getting rid of waste and abuse, enhancing accountability and performance, preventing corruption and mismanagement, or eliminating conflicts of interest. But the United States does not belong to the party that wins the election. Aligning the entire government with the administration’s policies, removes integrity from the system.
Remember these names!
They were integral
Phyllis Fong, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General – Investigated Elon Musk's Neuralink over allegations of mistreatment of test animals.
Mark Greenblatt, Department of the Interior Inspector General – Led investigations into ethical misconduct and policies favoring private enterprises.
Rae Oliver Davis, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General – Conducted audits critical of HUD's management and spending under the Trump administration.
Robert Storch, Department of Defense Inspector General – Oversaw investigations into defense contracts involving companies linked to Elon Musk.
Sean O'Donnell, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General – Investigated regulatory rollbacks benefiting Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
Cardell Richardson Sr., State Department Inspector General – Probed into the administration’s foreign aid decisions, including those affecting Musk’s business interests.
Christi Grimm, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General – Authored reports critical of the administration’s pandemic response, which indirectly impacted Musk’s ventures in healthcare technology.
Michael Missal, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General – Investigated mismanagement within the VA, including contracts with Musk’s tech companies.
Hannibal "Mike" Ware, Small Business Administration (SBA) Inspector General – Oversaw SBA operations, ensuring efficiency and integrity.
Paul K. Martin, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Inspector General – Fired after issuing a report critical of $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid lacking proper oversight.
These people weren’t casualties of bureaucracy—they were casualties of integrity.