Trump misfires on watchdogs, mail-in voting

Man bites watchdog.

In firing one inspector general, sidelining another and assailing a third, President Donald Trump in recent days has put his aversion to agents of federal accountability on stark display in a country consumed by the coronavirus.

Clearly displeased when inspectors general come to independent conclusions that don't fit the stories he tells, Trump employs a tactic to mar their credibility. If public servants worked for the government in the Obama era, they are subject to being painted as Obama loyalists out to get him.

And they're not insulated if they worked for Republican presidents, too, as the three targeted IGs found out.

With concerns raised about the safety of voting in a pandemic including the November general election, Trump spread falsehoods about the extent of mail-in voting fraud.

A look at the president's recent distortions on key elements of the pandemic response and a few other political subjects:
Announcing his decision to remove Glenn Fine, acting Defence Department inspector general who was tapped to lead a special oversight board of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, Trump had said, Well, we have IGs in from the Obama era."
On a report from the Health and Human Services Department's watchdog that found hospitals faced severe shortages of coronavirus test supplies, Trump had said, Did I hear the word inspector general? Really? It's wrong... Could politics be entered into that?
Referring to the HHS report, he tweeted, Another Fake Dossier!