
Call it the Friday Night Massacre: Donald Trump, following the Project 2025 playbook, fired 17 inspectors general, in clear violation of federal law, setting up legal battles, but whatever, as far as he’s concerned.
Congress is supposed to get 30 days’ notice of the firing of an inspector general – the positions have broad investigative powers to probe potential waste, abuse and corruption.
You can guess why Trump would want people in charge of investigating waste, abuse and corruption to be loyal to him, as opposed to loyal to the job.
We’re talking about a guy who was convicted last year on 34 counts of felony business fraud, and is facing a $500 million business-fraud judgment in a separate civil case.
Waste, abuse and corruption are going to define the next four years of the Trump 2.0 Swamp.
He doesn’t want nerds with investigatory power nosing around in his grift.
According to The Washington Post, where democracy died in darkness, IGs from the departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior and Energy were terminated.
“It’s a widespread massacre,” one IG who was dismissed Friday night told the Post. “Whoever Trump puts in now will be viewed as loyalists, and that undermines the entire system.”
Which is, of course, the point.
We got this from Gerry Connolly, the Northern Virginia Democrat who is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
“Trump’s Friday night coup to overthrow legally protected independent inspectors general is an attack on transparency and accountability, essential ingredients in our democratic form of government. Replacing independent inspectors general with political hacks will harm every American who relies on social security, veterans benefits, and a fair hearing at IRS on refunds and audits,” Connolly said.
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig, the ranking Dem on the House Agriculture Committee, also weighed in.
“This midnight purge of inspector generals, including at the USDA, is alarming and unprecedented,” Craig said. “While the president has the right to replace inspector generals, the late-night firing of these independent watchdogs not only violates the law but also hampers our ability to combat waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure programs are run as Congress intended, whether its disaster assistance for farmers or nutrition programs.
“These firings threaten to undermine public trust at a time when many hardworking Americans doubt whether government institutions are looking out for them and reinforce the perception that politicians get to play by a different set of rules,” Craig said.