Trump has fired 17 inspectors general in a late-night purge of the internal government watchdogs

The Trump administration has dismissed approximately 17 independent inspectors general across various federal agencies, a sweeping move that has drawn concerns from Congress about potential violations of federal oversight laws.

The firings took effect immediately as of Friday night, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. While the exact number of dismissals remains unclear, one of the ousted inspectors general indicated in an email that “roughly 17” were removed.

Congressional Concerns Over Legal Violations

By law, Congress must receive a 30-day notice before an inspector general is dismissed—something that lawmakers, including Republicans, noted did not happen.

“There may be good reasons for these firings, but we need to know what they are,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.”

Inspectors general were first introduced in the post-Watergate era as an independent check on government agencies to prevent corruption and mismanagement. While they are appointed by the president, they are expected to operate in a nonpartisan manner, and some have served under multiple administrations.

Mixed Reactions From Lawmakers

While some Republicans acknowledged the apparent legal violations, they were largely unconcerned.

“Just tell them they need to follow the law next time,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said.

Meanwhile, Democrats and government watchdog groups expressed serious concerns about the firings, warning that the move could weaken oversight and enable corruption.

“Inspectors general are the cops on the beat, preventing bad things from happening,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. “Their work saves taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year.”

Trump’s Broader Efforts to Reshape Government

The White House did not issue a statement on the firings, as President Donald Trump was in Las Vegas delivering a speech on his campaign promise to end federal taxation on tips.

The dismissals are part of a broader effort by Trump’s administration to restructure the federal government. In his first week back in office, Trump has:

• Signed executive orders imposing hiring freezes across federal agencies.
• Moved to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
• Suggested dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and leaving disaster recovery efforts to individual states.

Schumer: A “Chilling Purge”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) strongly condemned the dismissals.

“Yesterday, in the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspectors general at important federal agencies across the administration,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Saturday. “This is a chilling purge and a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration are taking far too often.”

Schumer also warned that the move was “possibly in violation of federal law” and suggested it signaled a “golden age” for corruption within the administration.