Trump reportedly defends late-night purge of executive agency inspectors general: Theyre not my people

President Donald Trump defended his firing of 17 inspectors general at federal agencies, after concerns were raised about the Friday-night purge.“It’s a very common thing to do,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One while traveling to Florida, according to the Washington Post.“I don’t know them,” he said of the independent watchdogs at various federal agencies, adding, “But some people thought that some were unfair or some were not doing their job.It’s a very standard thing to do.”“They’re not my people,” Trump told reporters Saturday night, the paper said.

“I don’t know anybody that would do that.But we’ll put people in there that will be very good.”The inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency were informed by emails from White House personnel director Sergio Gor late Friday night that they were being dismissed, according to the Washington Post.That included the IGs of the departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Treasury and Agriculture.Some claim that the firings violated federal law which requires the president to give both houses of Congress cause for dismissal and 30-days advance notice.Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the President’s actions, writing on X, “President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.”Supporters of the president’s action took a different tone.“[Inspectors general] may bring a few minor things to light but accomplish next to nothing,” former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell wrote on X.

“The whole system needs to be revamped! They are toothless and protect the institution instead of the citizens.”In 2022, Congress strengthened protections for inspectors general, making it harder to replace them with hand-picked officials and requiring explanations for their removal, according to Reuters....