By Charles Switzer
8:56am PST, Feb 25, 2025
Laura Ingraham Dismisses Federal Layoffs as Overdue Change
Fox News host
Laura Ingraham took aim at the thousands of federal employees who have been laid off in recent weeks, arguing that they should "get real jobs."
On Monday, February 24's
The Ingraham Angle, she downplayed the severity of the mass firings overseen by President
Donald Trump and his adviser
Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency.
Ingraham accused Democrats of attempting to paint government workers as victims, mocking their frustration over job losses. "Do Democrats really think that Americans will stop liking Trump because he fires these people?" she asked, implying that the layoffs were necessary to cut bureaucratic excess.
Here are four takeaways from her federal workforce jab.
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Elon Musk's 'Chainsaw for Bureaucracy'
Musk, who has embraced his role in leading drastic cuts to the federal workforce, has shown open enthusiasm for dismantling government jobs. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, February 20, the multi-billionaire brandished a chainsaw gifted to him by Argentinian President Javier Milei, symbolizing his aggressive approach to slashing government payrolls.
"This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!" Musk exclaimed.
His critics argue that these mass firings are not about efficiency but about weakening public institutions and consolidating power in the private sector. Despite this, Ingraham and other right-wing figures have celebrated Musk's actions as a much-needed purge of government overreach.
Musk's Controversial Email to Federal Workers
Over the weekend, Musk announced that millions of federal employees would receive an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requiring them to
justify their work from the previous week. Originally, Musk stated that "failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
However, after significant backlash, the final email did not include the resignation stipulation, and OPM later clarified that responses were not mandatory.
A 'Bully' Move
Still, the move was perceived by many as an intimidation tactic, designed to push out employees and further dismantle the public sector.
One affected worker MT Snyder told CNN, "This is clearly an attempt from Elon Musk to harass and bully and intimidate the federal workforce, which is part of his broader plan to gut the federal workforce and privatize public sector services."
Ingraham Mocks Government Workers' Complaints
Ingraham showed little sympathy for Snyder and other federal employees who objected to Musk's tactics. She dismissed their concerns, scoffing at the idea that being asked to document their weekly tasks was a form of "harassment."
"Now, making a list of what you accomplished in a week, that she was whining about, is 'harassment' and 'bullying?'" she asked sarcastically. "Of course, because that requires, what? Fifteen minutes of work?"
One political analyst on X suggested that Ingraham's comments reflect a broader conservative narrative that federal workers are "overpaid, underworked and unaccountable" — a narrative that fuels support for Musk and Trump's efforts to dismantle government agencies.
