Republicans Express Concern Over Trump's Firings of Inspectors General

A number of Republican lawmakers are voicing their concerns regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to fire more than a dozen inspectors general late on Friday night, particularly due to the absence of required notification to Congress. Approximately 17 inspectors general from various departments, such as State, Defense, and Transportation, were dismissed. These inspectors general play a vital role in preventing fraud, corruption, and abuse of power within the government.

The swift criticism from congressional Democrats included Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who described the firings as occurring "in the dark of night" and characterized the move as a "chilling" sign of potential abuses in governance during the next four years. Schumer warned that this could usher in a "golden age" for governmental wrongdoing. Republicans also began to express their apprehensions on Saturday, with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a close Trump ally, highlighting the absence of a 30-day advance notification to Congress mandated by law. Grassley acknowledged that there might be justified reasons for the dismissals, but he sought further clarification from Trump on the matter.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski referred to the situation as relatively unprecedented because lawmakers were not alerted beforehand. While recognizing that a new president might review the roles of inspectors general, she expressed concerns regarding the indiscriminate nature of the firings. Federal law requires that Congress receives a 30-day notice before an inspector general is terminated, and many of those affected were appointed during Trump’s initial term.

While traveling on Air Force One, Trump defended his actions, labeling them as standard practice and suggesting that "not all of them" were terminated. He asserted that some were perceived as underperforming, although he did not provide evidence to support this claim. Maine Senator Susan Collins pointed out that Trump’s actions contradicted his agenda of combating corruption, questioning the rationale for firing officials tasked with identifying waste and fraud.

Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota suggested that Trump should be given a chance to explain his decisions regarding the firings. He mentioned that he lacks information about the specifics of the situation, including whether deputies would step in to fill the gaps left by the dismissed inspectors general. Rounds emphasized that further discussion was necessary to understand Trump's reasoning behind the firings.