Transparent Like a Brick Wall
Trump says he’s the most transparent leader in history. Just don’t ask the people he’s fired.
Today, August 1, 2025, Donald Trump ordered the firing of Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The move came just hours after the BLS released a damaging jobs report: only 73,000 new jobs added in July, with May and June’s numbers quietly slashed by over 250,000.
Trump’s reaction?
Then… He fired the person in charge of publishing it.
That’s not transparency. That’s vengeance dressed as leadership and it didn’t come out of nowhere.
Just last week, Trump fired Larry Turner, the Inspector General of the Labor Department, the internal watchdog responsible for preventing fraud and abuse across the agency. Turner had served under both Republican and Democratic administrations until now.
Two firings. Seven days. Both aimed at career officials tasked with reporting data, not spinning it.
Trump doesn’t dispute facts. He fires the people who report them.
Donald Trump loves the word transparent. He says it like a shield, like a spell.
“No one has ever been more transparent than me,” he insists.
And yet, every time someone tries to hold up a mirror, he smashes it.
Fired, sidelined, or silenced for telling the truth:
Erika McEntarfer, BLS Commissioner — fired today after unfavorable jobs report.
Larry Turner, Labor Dept. Inspector General — fired last week amid another bad data cycle.
Dr. Rick Bright, BARDA — warned against hydroxychloroquine — demoted, resigned.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, testified about Ukraine call — removed from White House.
Amb. Gordon Sondland, testified in impeachment — fired.
IG Michael Atkinson, passed whistleblower report to Congress — fired.
Chris Krebs, confirmed election security — fired.
Mark Esper, opposed military force on civilians — fired.
Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney probing Trump allies — pushed out.
Steve Linick, investigating Pompeo — fired.
Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine — recalled after smear campaign.
Jennifer Williams, Pence aide who testified — targeted.
Jeff Sessions, recused from Russia probe — humiliated and fired.
James Comey, FBI Director — fired.
Andrew McCabe, Deputy FBI Director — fired before retirement.
Peter Strzok & Lisa Page, FBI officials — publicly purged.
Jeff Rosen, Acting AG who refused fraud plot — nearly replaced in a coup attempt.
William Taylor, Ukraine ambassador — testified, then pressured to resign.
This isn't a trend — it’s a tactic.
A pattern of retaliation designed to gut the watchdogs, silence the whistleblowers, and rewrite the narrative before it settles in.
Trump isn’t transparent. He’s performative.
He shouts "fake news" while scrubbing the truth.
He brags about loyalty while demanding silence.
He governs like a mob boss who calls press conferences to explain why he's innocent, then has the court reporter fired mid-sentence.
When you treat the truth like a threat, transparency becomes a costume and when the press, the public, or even your own appointees refuse to lie for you, they’re out.
Trump doesn’t fear chaos. He thrives in it. What he fears is scrutiny. Like any good authoritarian, he doesn't destroy institutions outright. He hollows them out and hangs his signature gold sign on the empty shell.
When truth becomes a liability, transparency becomes a prop.
And anyone who won’t play along? Gone.
Call to Action:
Inkblot doesn’t beg for access. We trace the wreckage.
This isn’t personality. It’s a program.
We map the machinery behind the mask.
Keep tracking with us.