American Carnage: Eleven Federal Workers and the Six Months That Wrecked the U.S. Government

This shocking account from Nation correspondent Abramsky (Chaos Comes Calling) exposes the upheaval and devastation of the second Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Led by “the wealthiest man on earth,” Elon Musk, DOGE waged an “all-out assault” on the federal government—which is also “the largest employer in the country,” Abramsky notes. Through intimate profiles of 11 federal workers, Abramsky traces their experiences as they get fired—and sometimes, in response to court decisions, rehired, only to be fired again months later—and struggle to find a new job in a now-saturated job market. In so doing, Abramsky uncovers astonishing details of DOGE’s chaotic operation, including communications “riddled with errors” and improper severance paperwork that affected employees’ benefits, including their access to healthcare. Abramsky frames this as more than sheer ineptitude, but rather as all-out war on the federal service featuring incredible acts of malice, such as numerous employees being fired for “poor performance,” a designation that will likely hinder future federal employment. The subjects’ reveal the heavy emotional toll as they grieve for their upended professional lives—“You can compare it to a traumatic event in your life. Losing somebody,” says one former government scientist mourning a 20-year career. It’s an enraging view of the impact of DOGE’s chainsaw. (Jan.)