[It is 1,444 days until the end of the second Trump presidency.]

[Note: full disclosure — I’m the wife (and dependent) of a federal worker.]

I knew things would get bad. I never expected they would get this bad, this fast.

Having a spoiled brat billionaire and a cadre of nearly teen young men taking over the U.S. Treasury was not on my bingo card. Nor was the shuttering of an agency created by Congress to provide help to people around the world.

It seems to be the time for sniping at federal workers. One senator stated that there were going to be savings by getting rid of people “some of who haven’t been to work in years.” (Note: just because they haven’t been “to work” doesn’t mean that they haven’t been working. There is such a thing as remote working. Not to mention that during the worst of the pandemic, they were prohibited from going in to work.)

You know the old saying, “good enough for government work.” To me, that means that whatever it is was done to exacting standards by people who care deeply about their mission, and who could be making a lot more money if they chose to work in the private sector but who believe strongly in public service.

The “buyout” letter sent to workers by Trump was both insulting and threatening. And the vague threats that have followed have not been much better. Besides, this is being extended by a man who has a history of stiffing contractors (Trump) and a man who didn’t honor his commitments to employees who left, in circumstances much like that the federal workers face now (Musk). Why should anybody trust them?

A special shoutout to USAID workers: my heart goes out to you and the people you serve. You don’t deserve what’s happening to you.

So if you know a federal employee, let them know you appreciate them and that you have their back. It’s the least we can do.