When multiple officials are removed at many offices, you get less experienced people trying to run operations where there is no room for error.

A purge of experienced leaders is now underway at the FBI. Thousands of field agents are being threatened with dismissal. Here’s what we know so far, and why America is already less safe.

At least eight of the most senior officials in the FBI, and multiple field office chiefs, have been forced out, despite the fact that neither attorney general pick Pam Bondi, nor FBI director nominee Kash Patel have been confirmed. In fact, perhaps this action is already in full swing precisely to allow both nominees to feign ignorance during their Senate hearings. Bondi testified, “There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.” Patel claimed, “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.” The past few days suggest otherwise.

These forced dismissals and retirements are being directed by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former defense attorney for Trump. Bove demanded acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll to dismiss the eight top leaders and, significantly, to provide a list of all FBI personnel who worked on the Capitol insurrection investigations. Driscoll advised the top leaders to leave the bureau, but has reportedly drawn the line at providing the list of field agents. In an email to bureau employees last Friday, Driscoll wrote that he was among the agents who would be on such a list, which is supposed to be submitted to DOJ by Tuesday.