Trump fires 18 Inspectors General in unprecedented purge of government watchdogs
President Trump fired 18 Inspectors General across multiple federal agencies in an unprecedented purge of government oversight officials. The mass firing included Robert Storch (Defense), Michael Missal (Veterans Affairs), Hannibal “Mike” Ware (Small Business Administration), and Mark Lee Greenblatt (Interior), among others. This represented the largest single-day removal of independent watchdogs in U.S. history, effectively eliminating oversight of billions in federal spending and thousands of government programs. The firings violated federal law requiring 30-day notice to Congress.
Key Actors
Sources (7)
- Trump fires 18 federal inspectors general in late-night purge (2025-01-24)
- Warren Condemns Mass Firing of Government Watchdogs (2025-04-29)
- Trump fires independent inspectors general in Friday night purge (2025-01-25)
- 8 inspectors general fired by Trump file lawsuit (2025-02-12)
- Trump administration abruptly fires at least 17 inspectors general (2025-01-25)
- Late-night firings criticized as illegal (2025-01-25)
- Grassley, Durbin seek presidential explanation for IG dismissals (2025-01-28)
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