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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ripped President Donald Trump for a “chilling purge” of over a dozen independent inspectors across the executive branch.
On late Friday evening, the Trump administration removed approximately 17 inspectors general from multiple departments, including State, Defense, Transportation, and Energy departments. The job of these inspectors is to review agencies for abuse of power and fraud.
“In the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the Administration,” Schumer wrote on X on Saturday. “A chilling purge. It’s a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration is taking to being President.”
In the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the Administration.
A chilling purge.
It’s a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration is taking to being President.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 25, 2025
He added in a follow-up post, “Trump’s decision to fire twelve of the federal government’s independent watchdogs is a glaring sign that it’s a Golden Age for corruption and abuse in government.”
Schumer was joined in his criticism of Trump by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) who expressed confusion of why Trump would want to remove independent inspectors seeking to root out corruption.
“I don’t understand why one would fire individuals whose mission it is to root out waste, fraud and abuse. This leaves a gap in what I know is a priority for President Trump,” Collins told reporters on Capitol Hill on Saturday. “So, I don’t understand it.”
