Trump fires 17 independent watchdogs at multiple agencies in late-night move
In a late-night Friday move, President Donald Trump fired at least 17 independent watchdogs — known as inspectors general — at multiple federal agencies, sources familiar with the move told.
The conversations about ousting these government watchdogs began during Trump’s transition back to the White House.
🚨NYT reporting Trump fired 17 Inspectors General from several agencies in a late night purge.
The winning continues … pic.twitter.com/Z7QuEtuIie
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While inspectors general can be fired by the president — it can only happen after communicating with Congress 30 days in advance and in 2022 Congress strengthened the law requiring administrations to give a detailed reasoning for the firing of an IG.
There isn’t yet have a complete list of all the IG’s impacted, but at least one high-profile watchdog — Justice Department IG Michael Horowitz — did not receive notice that he was fired as of yesterday evening.
Horowitz is an Obama appointee and has issued reports that have been critical of both the Trump and Biden administrations.
The current law also mandates that any acting IG’s must come from within the IG community, though it’s unclear whether the Trump White House believes they need to follow that aspect of the law.
The inspectors general were blindsided by emails they received Friday night from Sergio Gor, the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, according to a source with knowledge of the firings.
“I am writing to inform you that due to changing priorities your position … is terminated, effective immediately,”.
Many of the IGs had met with Trump transition officials at their agencies and had productive conversations with the incoming administration, the source said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Saturday that Congress was not given the required 30-day notice.
While talking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday evening on his way from Las Vegas to Miami, Trump classified the firings as a “common thing to do.”
“Well, I did it because it’s a very common thing to do – not all of them. Like Horowitz, we’re keeping.”
While talking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday evening on his way from Las Vegas to Miami, Trump classified the firings as a “common thing to do.””Well, I did it because it’s a very common thing to do – not all of them. Like Horowitz, we’re keeping.”He continued, “It’s a very standard thing to do, very much like the U.S. attorneys.”
“There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so. I’d like further explanation from President Trump,” Grassley said in a statement given. “Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.”
“First of all to remind that our Inspector General can’t be removed from office until the president, and that’s any president, not just Trump. So this is a message to all these presidents you’ve got to tell Congress a month ahead of time the reasons for removing them,” Grassley said.
He added, “And the other thing is that inspector generals are expected to be independent of political pressure, independent of the head of the agency, and to make sure that the law is enforced and money spent appropriately, and there shouldn’t be any political pressure against any of his work.”
In a letter to the White House Friday, Mike Ware, the Small Business Administration inspector general and chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, said the firing of the independent watchdogs over email is not “legally sufficient to dismiss Presidentially Appointed, Senate confirmed Inspectors General.”
The letter, obtained goes on to explain the removal process codified in the 2022 amendments to the inspectors general law.
“The requirement to provide the substantive rationale, including detailed and case specific reasons, was added to better enable Congress to engage on and respond to a proposed removal of an Inspector General in order to protect the independence of Inspectors General,” Ware wrote.
In floor remarks Saturday morning, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer ripped into the Trump administration for the move, saying that the dismissals are a possible violation of federal law.
“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.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst launched a bipartisan IG caucus just ten days ago.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the newly-minted group, told ABC News he’ll be looking to his Republican colleagues on that panel to take some sort of action.
“We have a group, and it is bipartisan, that is supportive of inspectors general, and I think it is a real test of whether they are willing to let loose an unchecked surge of corruption and waste,” he said.
Reaction among Republican senators was mixed.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn deferred to Grassley when asked for comment.
“I think we just take it one step at a time and try to understand what the rationale was,” he said.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, said he believes many of the inspectors general do need to be replaced and that Trump ultimately has the power to do so. But he noted there may be a process that needs to be followed.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who helped to pass the legislation in 2022 that strengthened the law requiring administrations to give a detailed reasoning for the firing of an IG, said she was frustrated by Trump’s move.
“I don’t understand why one would fire individuals whose mission is to root out waste, fraud and abuse,” Collins said. “So this leaves a gap in what I know is a priority for President Trump, so I don’t understand it.”
Some Republican senators who have been staunch supporters of Trump, however, praised the firings.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he’s “all for it” when asked about Trump’s move to dismiss the inspectors general.
“We need to clean house. I mean, if they’re not for this country to move on down the road,” he said.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., however, said the firing of the IG’s was “one more example of the lack of respect for the rule of law.”
“He seems to be trying to throw a monkey wrench into the kind of any independence left in our government,” Warner said of Trump. “The whole idea of inspector generals is to have that independent check. Who is going to take those jobs going forward?”
Later Saturday, the ranking Democrats on the House committees sent a letter to Trump strongly condemning the firing of several inspectors general.
“Your actions violate the law, attack our democracy, and undermine the safety of the American people,” the group wrote.
“Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently,” they added.
Trump fired 17 inspectors general at multiple federal agencies overnight, sources say.
While the independent watchdogs can be fired by the president — it can only happen after communicating with Congress 30 days prior, requiring detailed reasoning for the firing. pic.twitter.com/Y66tPdNlyT
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) January 25, 2025
