Rachel Maddow said Trump staffers should resign on Monday following a series of DOGE cuts to workers at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The MSNBC host began the segment by reporting on President Donald Trump’s firing of federal employees who work in various parts of the nuclear industry. Workers at Hanford nuclear site were cut last week, including security engineers and cleanup workers. The site is now operating with a skeleton crew. Over 600 employees at the Bonneville Power administration were also laid off.
“Layoffs at Bonneville Power Administration raise concerns about the reliability of the power grid,” Maddow said. “They’re firing electricians. They’re engineers, line workers, cybersecurity experts. Again, that’s the power grid. The biggest electricity supplier in the Pacific Northwest … Is that what you voted for? Cutting the people who maintain the power grid?”
Watch the “Rachel Maddow Show” segment below via MSNBC:
The host then pivoted to the National Nuclear Security Administration, which was also impacted by DOGE cuts last week. Over 300 workers were immediately terminated under instruction by the Elon Musk-led advisory body. Maddow emphasized the importance of the NNSA and referenced an incident last week when a Russian drone smashed into a reactor shield at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. She continued to explain the site is in fact monitored by the NNSA, and that it was our monitors that ruled out a major radioactive catastrophe.
“The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains and refurbishes and ensures the safe and secure storage and transportation and maintenance of our nation’s thousands of nuclear weapons,” she added. “The people in charge of making sure that terrorists don’t get their hands on a nuclear weapon, or that nuclear weapons technology does not get stolen and sold in the black market. They are also in charge of making our new nuclear weapons — and Trump is firing them.”
Maddow didn’t mince words as she blasted Trump for firing members of the already small 2,000-member staff. “Isn’t there anything about the name of that agency that might suggest to you that maybe this is not the best place to make cuts?” she added. “What about the National Nuclear Security Administration bugs you and makes you think that one is dispensable?”
Maddow continued, explaining that just one day later, the Trump administration had “maybe googled” what the NNSA does and attempted to take it back. However, because the terminations were effective immediately, all work computer systems and email was cut off for the employees.
“They had no way to get in touch with all those people they had just fired to say ‘Oops, sorry. Please, will you come back?’’ Maddow said with clear contempt. “This is the level of expertise and efficiency we’re dealing with with this new administration.”
In an email obtained by NBC News, officials said, “The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel.”
Maddow slammed Trump for giving Musk and his DOGE employees the authority to fire federal employees with complete disregard for what they do for the nation. She said he “had them fire them without those kids apparently having any idea what those people in that agency do.” She didn’t hold back as she called on the Trump employees to resign. Her tone was half mocking but her message held true.
“Has it occurred to any of you to maybe resign?” she said as she ended the segment. “If you’re running a government this way on national nuclear security grounds alone? Have you considered resigning? People have resigned for much smaller sins and much less damage to their country than this.”
You can watch the full Rachel Maddow segment in the clip above.
