WASHINGTON — Democrats are fuming over President Donald Trump’s late-night move to fire more than a dozen inspectors general while the GOP is largely lining up behind the action, even as at least one noted its legality is tenuous. 


What You Need To Know

  • Democrats are fuming over President Donald Trump’s late-night move to fire more than a dozen inspectors general while the GOP is largely lining up behind the action, even as at least one noted its legality is tenuous
  • On Friday, Trump fired at least 12 inspectors general, figures who are expected to be nonpartisan and commissioned with keeping a check on fraud, abuse and mismanagement inside federal government agencies
  • Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the move a "chilling purge" while other Democrats sounded the alarm on the move breaking a law requiring a president to notify Congress of such firings 30 days in advance 
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Sunday conceded in his own interview with NBC News that Trump’s decision not to inform Congress of the action a month in advance “technically” broke the law but defended Trump's decision

Speaking on the Senate floor over the weekend, the chamber’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, referred to the abrupt firings of the watchdog figures — who are expected to be nonpartisan and commissioned with keeping a check on fraud, abuse and mismanagement inside federal government agencies — a “chilling purge.” 

“These firings are Donald Trump’s way of telling us he is terrified of accountability and is hostile to facts and to transparency,” Schumer said, going on to insinuate the president, just a week into the job, intends to replace those fired with those he believes will be loyal to him. 

“President Trump has an aversion to the truth, and when someone confronts him with truth and facts, he fires them and replaces them with loyalists,” Schumer added. 

Several other Senate Democrats, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Chris Coons and the ranking member of the chamber’s Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, took to X to express their outrage. 

In a statement, Durbin called the move a “brazen attempt to rig these offices to look the other way when violations of law take place.”

“Inspectors general are vital for keeping the government honest and revealing waste, fraud, and abuse,” Durbin added. “Less than one week in office and President Trump is dismantling the checks and balances on the Executive Branch at an astounding rate.”

On the House side, the top Democrats on the chamber’s committees banded together to criticize the decision in a letter sent to Trump over the weekend. 

The group of more than 20 House Democrats asked the president to withdraw the action. 

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, lambasted the move in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, honing in on a concern expressed by several in the party that Trump’s move violated a law requiring Congress to be notified 30 days before the removal of such figures. Schiff called it a “clear violation of law.” 

He went on to argue the Congress “remedies” to push back, citing that the branch’s control over fiscal matters and the confirmation votes for Trump’s picks for key administration roles currently are ongoing. 

“We have the power of the purse," Schiff said. "We have the power right now to confirm or not confirm people for Cabinet positions that control agencies, or would control agencies, whose inspector generals have just been fired."

Within the GOP, meanwhile, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Sunday conceded in his own interview with NBC News that Trump’s decision not to inform Congress of the action a month in advance “technically” broke the law. At the same time, he argued that Trump “has the authority” to do it and an understandable right to want his own personnel in place. 

Graham also brushed off concerns that the president could replace those fired with loyalists.

“It's not the first time people have come in and put their team in,” Graham said. “When you win an election, you need people in your administration that reflect your views.” 

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas similarly argued that Trump has a “right” to choose people he wants for the watchdog roles in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” 

“Ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president,” he said. 

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Saturday, Trump defended his decision, calling it a “common” and “standard” thing to do. He added that not all of them were removed. There are more than 70 across the federal government, according to the Office of the Inspector General. 

The Associated Press reported that “roughly 17” inspectors general had been fired in the sweeping move. In their statements, most Democrats have said “at least 12” were removed. 

According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, a president has notified Congress of his intention to replace an inspector general at least four times since 2008. Two of those instances were in Trump’s first term when he notified Congress of his decision to fire the inspector general of the Intelligence Community and State Department. 

Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, told Congress he was firing the inspector general of the Corporation for National Community Service in 2009 while former President Joe Biden did the same for the person in the post at the Railroad Retirement Board last year following an investigation about a toxic work environment. 

In his first term, Trump also removed additional inspectors general who were working in an acting capacity.