Without warning, President Trump fired at least a dozen inspectors general late Friday night, several of whom oversee agencies that implement food and farm policies. Inspectors general run independent offices tasked with promoting efficiency and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal law requires Presidents to give Congress 30 days notice and an explanation of reasoning when firing them.
Those fired included HHS Inspector Christi Grimm, who was appointed by President Biden, EPA Inspector Sean O’Donnell, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, and USDA inspector Phyllis Fong, who was nominated by President George W. Bush and had been on the job for more than two decades.
Trump defended the decision, while top Democrats in Congress sent him a letter pointing to the law’s requirements and “urging him to withdraw your unlawful action and comply with your obligations to the American people.”
The top Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees also sent out statements pointing specifically to potential impacts at the USDA. “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,” said Representative Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), “whether it’s disaster assistance for farmers or nutrition programs.” (Link to this post)
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