Trump fires inspectors general: What to know
US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One upon departure from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at federal agencies, a move consistent with his efforts to reshape the federal government in his first few days back in the White House.
Here’s what to know about inspectors general, and Trump’s latest removal of them:
What is an inspector general?
The backstory:
The role of the modern-day inspector general dates to post-Watergate Washington, when Congress installed offices inside federal and state agencies as an independent check against mismanagement and abuse of power.
Their mission is to perform audits, investigations and evaluations, and to help prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse.
Though inspectors general are presidential appointees, some serve presidents of both parties. All are expected to be nonpartisan.
Trump also replaced multiple key inspectors general in 2020, including those leading the Defense Department and intelligence community, as well as the inspector general tapped to chair a special oversight board for the $2.2 trillion economic relief package on the coronavirus.
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Trump fires inspectors general
What we know:
Friday night, the Trump administration began firing several independent inspectors general at federal agencies.
The action removes oversight of his new administration, and some members of Congress are suggesting the dismissals violate federal oversight laws because Congress was not given 30-day notices about the removals.
The Associated Press is reporting the firings based on information from two people familiar with the actions who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details haven't been made public.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear exactly how many inspectors general have been fired. An email to The Associated Press sent by one of the fired inspectors general said "roughly 17" inspectors general had been removed.
The names and departments of those included have also not yet been made public.
The Washington Post, which first reported the firings, said that many of those who were fired were appointees from Trump’s first term. Among those inspectors general reportedly removed included those for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense and Education.
What they're saying:
Congress is reacting differently to the lack of notice about the latest round of removals of inspectors general.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., acknowledged that the firings violated statutes but shrugged it off: "Just tell them you need to follow the law next time," he said.
"There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so," Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress," said Grassley, R-Iowa.
Democrats and watchdog groups, however, used the dismissals to raise alarm that Trump was making it easier to take advantage of the government.
"Yesterday, in the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the administration," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Saturday on the chamber's floor. "This is a chilling purge and it's a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration are taking far too often as he's becoming president."
Schumer said the dismissals are "possibly in violation of federal law" and help demonstrate that the move "is a glaring sign that it's a golden age for abuse in government and even corruption."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., noted that inspectors general are "critical to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government." The mass firings were "alarming," she said.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called Trump’s actions "a purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night."
The White House did not comment on Saturday. President Donald Trump was in Las Vegas for a speech focused on his campaign promise to end federal taxation on tips.
Big picture view:
The removals were consistent with the president's first week back in the White House, which has featured a series of steps to remake the federal government.
Trump has done everything from using executive orders to impose hiring freezes and crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, to suggesting that he wants to shutter the Federal Emergency Management Agency and leave disaster recovery up to individual states affected by major emergencies.
READ MORE: Here's what Trump did on his first day in office
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Associated Press, which spoke to two anonymous sources familiar with the actions and details that haven't been made public yet. Information about inspectors general was taken from The Council of The Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency's official government website. This story was reported from Detroit.