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Episode 1326Feb 8, 2025

Are Trump’s firings legal?

Trump: You’re fired. Employees: We’ll see you in court.

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A pedestrian walks past the Federal Election Commission's headquarters October 24, 2016 in Washington, DC. The FEC is an independent regulatory agency founded in 1975 by the U.S. Congress "to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections."
A pedestrian walks past the Federal Election Commission's headquarters October 24, 2016 in Washington, DC. The FEC is an independent regulatory agency founded in 1975 by the U.S. Congress "to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections."
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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President Donald Trump has fired dozens of government officials since he took office. The latest is the chair of the Federal Election Commission. But is any of this legal? We’ll get into it. Plus: A “Make Me Smart” alum shares the trauma of losing his home in the Los Angeles fires. Finally, we’ll wrap with a dose of uplifting news (thanks to you!) and a round of our favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today: 

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

The Team