Trump Social Security chief threatened to come in after being fired — but the White House isn't having it

Last week, Andrew Saul, a GOP donor former President Donald Trump appointed as a Social Security Commissioner, was fired by the Biden administration — but he vowed to ignore the firing and come right in to work on Monday anyway.

But that threat may be hollow. According to Slate judicial reporter Mark Joseph Stern, federal officials are already taking the same actions with Saul that they would with anyone leaving their employment. According to a statement issued by the White House, "As with any employment termination, the government has taken steps to offboard Andrew Saul as we would any further employee."

In another twist of irony, Stern noted, the White House is citing Supreme Court cases decided by conservatives stripping legal protections from White House employees. Right-wing activists had filed those cases hoping to invalidate the agencies altogether — but instead, they just made it legal for Biden officials to fire the workers that Trump appointed on his way out the door.

Trump appointed a number of his friends, cronies, and other right-wing figures to a number of government boards while leaving office. Many of them were enraged as they were forced out of those positions with the new administration, including right-wing talk radio host Michael Savage, who was swiftly fired from his position overseeing a national park.

Many Trump appointees, anticipating this, scrambled to look for new jobs after the election was called for Biden.