Trump Fires 17 Inspectors General in Single Late-Night Purge

President Trump fired 17 Senate-confirmed inspectors general in a single weekend night action, eliminating independent oversight at agencies including Defense, Transportation, and State. The mass removal — unprecedented in scale — drew bipartisan condemnation. Experts noted IGs cannot be removed without 30-day congressional notice under a 2022 law, raising immediate legal challenges about whether the firings violated federal statute.