Third Way: Political Hypocrisy, Who’s Surprised?
Tristan Spinski
For decades, if not centuries, women have fought tirelessly for respect and equality within the workplace. The battle to not only be heard but also acknowledged has been and continues to be an uphill effort. In an ever changing workforce and politically divisive world, it is nothing short of imperative that women’s opinions be heard, acknowledged, and considered with the same enthusiasm as their male counterparts. However, under the Trump administration, this silencing of voices appears to defy gender norms and has instead chosen to create equality in a different sense completely.
Immediately following President Trump’s 2025 inauguration, mass layoffs within the federal government were at a high with the largest amount of layoffs being 100% for the US Agency for International Development and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Conversely, the department with the least layoffs was Citizenship and Immigration Services, which saw a whopping 0.2% fired. This imbalance in and of itself is evident of what President Trump truly believes is beneficial vs benign to the American people.
These layoffs, however, were not merely meant to target specific agencies, but rather the employees within them. Employees whose only fault, for the majority, was a refusal of blind allegiance to the President. The President didn’t simply fire these people either. In the case of some individuals, he made conditions of working so hostile and uncomfortable for employees that they themselves made the decision to leave. This is a form of power trip that is not only careless, but also unlawful in much of its conception and execution.
The Trump Administration also sought out DEI hires specifically. Individuals such as Mahri Stainnack who was fired only a few short months after Trump signed into effect the executive orders that ended Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) within federal government settings. For the president to decide that simply because an individual previously worked in a DEI position - though in the case of Stainnack, they no longer did - was reason enough for removal from their jobs no matter the experience or length of time with their department is so incredibly disheartening and frankly, just confusing. The president is like a child told to share his snacks, if he stops hanging out with all the other kids, then he keeps it all to himself. Though, isolation and lack of interpersonal relationships has been proven to make individuals less likely to succeed. So maybe he should re-evaluate.
The concerted efforts of the Trump administration to do away with DEI and label it as harmful and an attempt at elevating women and minorities who don't “deserve” their positions are nothing short of disgusting and hypocritical. Women like Lillian Bonsignore, who end up under extreme criticism simply because of their gender, are a timeless example of this. Bonsignore was an emergency medical technician for 31 years and served as a first responder during the September 11th attacks. She also worked as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic and faced a multitude of traumatic and disheartening scenes. Bonsignore was elected to the position of Fire Department of New York Commissioner in December of 2025 and was privy to no shortage of scrutiny. Elon Musk, billionaire and overall awful human being said of Bonsignore’s election “people will die because of this” and “proven experience matters when lives are at stake”. Proven experience is truly imperative, but Bonsignore has that experience. She was present for one of the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history. She was on the ground during 9/11 and saved lives. She worked tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic as a first responder and has always put the lives of others above her own. She deserves her role and she is damn good at it too.
The hypocrisy of such statements as the one made by Musk, becomes painfully clear when we view the ways in which Trump has chosen to fill his cabinet. He has elected to place in positions of extreme political power, those who are loyal to him and supportive of his inane actions. An example of such would be the now former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem. Kristi Noem is disrespectful, uninformed, and self-absorbed, to put it nicely. She views human lives (and animal lives, if you’ve read her memoir) as being disposable. She filmed a commercial for the DHS in front of a detention center where inmates were visible in the background. To do such a thing and pass it off as acceptable is deplorable in its very nature and speaks volumes as to the kind of individual she truly is.
When individuals, and in this case individuals such as Kristi Noem, are truly not fit for their roles and are unable to fulfill their responsibilities, it corroborates the claims of the shallow minded that women “can’t do” certain jobs. It isn't that women can’t, it's that this particular individual does not have the tools, knowledge, or practice to maintain their position adequately. Political allegiance should not be a job qualifier, just like how gender, race, and sexuality should not be disqualifiers.