Quotes
So, Friday night I got an email on my work phone, and I checked it,
Greenblatt told CNN’s Kasie Hunt
We're looking at what amounts to a threat to democracy, a threat to independent oversight and a threat to transparency in government. This is no doubt. The statute isn't just a technicality, it's a key protection of IG independence is what it is,
Ware said
He broke the law, ... And not just any law, but a law meant to crowd out waste, fraud and abuse. And yeah, the remedies Congress has.”
Schiff told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
This is Donald Trump’s way of telling us he’s terrified of accountability,
Schumer saidIt’s a first standard thing to do, very much like the U.S. attorneys,
he addedAt this point, ... we do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient to dismiss presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed inspectors general.”
Ware wrote in a letter addressed to the White House
It sends a message to others out there: if you use violence to keep Donald Trump in power, or use violence in the service of Donald Trump, he will have your back,
Schiff saidI have to say … yeah, he broke the law,
Schiff added, referring to Trump
Time and time again the Supreme Court has said that Congress can't impose restrictions on the president's power to remove officers...Ultimately these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president. He wants new people in there, he wants people focused on getting out waste, fraud and abuse and reforming these agencies."
Cotton responded
I've heard from some of your GOP colleagues who are concerned about this saying it didn't give the proper notification even if ultimately it would be, the notice wasn't there and as President Trump signaling he's just going to observe which laws he wants to and not others."
In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Bream confronted Cotton with GOP concerns about the firing of the inspectors general and said
He won the election. What do you expect him to do, just leave everybody in place in Washington before he got elected?”
Graham said
We’ll put people in there that will be very good,
he told reporters Saturday evening_(cropped).jpg)
It's a purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night. Inspectors general are charged with rooting out government waste, fraud, abuse, and preventing misconduct. President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption."
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a former Harvard Law professor, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday
Trump has fired 12 inspectors general without providing the 30-day notice to Congress required by law. He really is pushing the legal limits of his power and daring Congress to stop him."
Barbara McQuade, MSNBC legal analyst and former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan under the Barack Obama administration, wrote on X on SaturdayTo write off this clear violation of the law by saying, 'Well, technically he broke the law.' Yeah, he broke the law...The American people, if we don't have good and independent inspector generals are gonna see the swamp refill, they're gonna see rampant waste, fraud, they're gonna see corruption. It may be the president's goal here."
Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and lawyer, said on Meet the Press on SundayWell, technically yeah, but he has the authority to do it. I'm not losing a whole lot of sleep that he wants to change the personnel out. I just want to make sure that he gets off to a good start, I think he has. I'm very supportive of what he wants to do with America,
Graham respondedExisting IGs are virtually worthless. They may bring a few minor things to light but accomplish next to nothing. The whole system needs to be revamped. They are toothless and protect the institution instead of the citizens."
Sidney Powell, who Trump once said was part of his legal team but later said was never his lawyer, wrote on X on SaturdayThe Inspectors General do not have that status; they are simple members of the executive branch agencies. Even if Congress attempts to place conditions on their removal, those conditions are unconstitutional. Any Inspector General that attempts to challenge their removal in court—they would still have to leave office and just sue for back pay—will be wasting their money in lawyers fees."
He addedThe law says he's supposed to give them 30 days' notice. He didn't do that. Do you think he violated the law?"
Welker then askedI'm not overly worried about that,
the senator said