More than a dozen inspectors general were fired by President Donald Trump on Friday

Trump Accused Of ‘Dismantling Checks On His Power’ After Firing Inspectors General—Here’s What To Know

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More than a dozen inspectors general were fired by President Donald Trump on Friday, signaling the removal of government watchdogs across several agencies, according to multiple reports, resulting in bipartisan concern over whether the firings are legal.

It’s not immediately clear whether the firings are legal, as the Trump administration is required to ... [+]

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Key Facts

The White House notified several inspectors general by email, including officials for the departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, State, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Education, Energy, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Labor and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Small Business Administration, people familiar with the dismissals told Politico and the Washington Post.

Inspectors general for some agencies were not fired, however, including the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, the Office of Personnel Management, the Federal Communications Commission and the Export-Import Bank, Politico reported.

It’s not immediately clear why Trump fired them: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, suggested “there may be a good reason” the officials were fired, though Grassley said he would “like further explanation” from Trump.

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Chief Critic

Hannibal Ware, inspector general of the Small Business Administration, disputed his removal in an email to the White House while noting the ousted officials “do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient,” the Post reported. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the firings a “chilling purge.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., accused Trump of “dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.” Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., called the firings a “Friday night coup” and an “attack on transparency and accountability,” suggesting Trump’s replacements would be “political hacks.”