Trump’s Kremlin Playbook

The U.S. Department of Agriculture building is seen in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)AP

Reuters reported that, on Monday, security agents escorted the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of her office after she refused to comply with her firing by the Trump regime.

Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran watchdog responsible for investigating fraud and abuse at the USDA, bird flu, and food safety, was one of 17 independent inspectors general abruptly dismissed in the last Friday-night purge. The move blindsided the IG community and violated federal law, bypassing the required 30-day notice to Congress.

Trump justified the mass firings as a routine bureaucratic shake-up, stating: “It’s a very common thing to do.” But let’s be clear—this was illegal and not routine—it was a systematic dismantling of federal oversight, executed with the efficiency of an authoritarian regime.

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it before—in Russia.

Trump’s Rapid Takeover

I expected Trump to do this and have spent almost a decade warning about his authoritarian tendencies. But the sheer speed with which he is acting is surprising.

Trump came fully prepared to implement Project 2025 and his authoritarian agenda, hijacking the government from the first hour after he returned to power.

The firing of inspectors general, the ideological purges, and the dismantling of federal oversight tell us one thing: this was planned long in advance.

Trump and his loyalists have learned from past mistakes. In his first term, he faced resistance from career civil servants, inspectors general, and an independent judiciary. This time, they aren’t leaving room for opposition and instead of gradually eroding guardrails, they are bulldozing them in one swift blow.

This strategy resembles how autocrats like Putin consolidated power. When Putin first took office in 2000, he immediately moved to neutralize oversight institutions and rapidly replaced key officials with loyalists—while seizing media companies and jailing several.

Trump is moving very quickly and his isn’t just an abuse of power—it’s an authoritarian power grab, executed with military precision.

Congress as an Instrument, Not a Check

The systematic firing of independent watchdogs highlights Trump’s intent. He does not see Congress as a check on his power but as an extension of his will.

Just as the Russian Duma serves as a rubber stamp for Kremlin directives, Trump is working to quickly transform Congress from an independent check on power into a mere instrument of his will. By ignoring legal requirements—such as the 30-day notification period for IG dismissals—Trump is making clear that laws do not apply to him. And WH Senior Advisor Stephen Miller said so as much when pressed by Jake Tapper about breaking the law, Miller dismissed it, stating the 30-day notification law is unconstitutional.

During the first term, Republicans shielded Trump from accountability during his impeachments and dismissed clear evidence of corruption, but now they are eliminating even the pretense of oversight.

Loyalty Over Competence

Trump’s attack on the federal workforce doesn’t stop at watchdogs. The regime has instituted MAGA loyalty tests for government positions, requiring prospective hires to pass ideological screenings. Applicants are scrutinized for past political affiliations, social media history, and their adherence to Trump’s agenda.

This mirrors Russia’s vetting of government employees where unwavering loyalty to the Kremlin is key, and any real or perceived deviation leads to immediate dismissal, harassment, or criminal charges. The Russian security services (FSB) maintain extensive files on civil servants to ensure ideological purity—just as Trump’s regime is now attempting to do with federal workers.

The War on Dissent: From Watchdogs to Informants

In an even more disturbing move, Trump ordered federal employees to report colleagues who continue to promote DEI programs. Employees were warned of “adverse consequences” if they failed to comply and were given ten days to submit reports.

This is straight out of the Soviet and Russian informant networks.

Under the Soviet Union, citizens were encouraged to report colleagues, neighbors, and family members for suspected disloyalty to the Communist Party. The KGB maintained files on millions of citizens, relying on informants to root out dissent. Today, Putin’s Russia has resurrected this model. Laws targeting “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations” weaponize denunciations, enabling ordinary citizens to accuse coworkers or activists of disloyalty to the state.

To make matters worse, Trump stripped clearances, pulled security details, and continued to paint former officials—critical of him— like former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Bolton, and Pompeo as traitors. Milley faces threats of investigation, while all are left vulnerable to real danger like death threats. Just like in Russia, this tactic is meant to send a chilling message to government officials: fall in line or face retaliation.

The Path to an Autocratic America

In just one week, we are witnessing the deliberate dismantling of democratic institutions. The removal of inspectors general, ideological purges in hiring, the weaponization of Congress as an extension of executive power, and mandatory reporting on colleagues all serve one purpose—to consolidate power and eliminate dissent.

And the speed of these actions tells us everything. This was premeditated and Trump’s regime came fully prepared to dismantle the government from the first hour.

This is how autocracies are built.

We must sound the alarm and make as much noise as possible about these authoritarian moves. The courts must be used to challenge and slow down this hostile takeover, exposing its illegality at every turn. And I hope that career civil servants will hold the line, resisting this assault on democracy and institutions from within.