USDA’s inspector general is among those canned by Trump

DAILY Bites

• Reports indicate that inspectors general from most Cabinet-level agencies were removed without the required 30-day notice.

• USDA IG Phyllis K. Fong’s removal drew strong criticism from Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota.

• Fired IG Hannibal Ware warned the firings undermine accountability and may be illegal.

DAILY Discussion

Late Friday, President Donald Trump’s administration removed inspectors general from nearly every Cabinet-level federal agency, including the individual running oversight at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The firings, reportedly communicated via late-night emails from White House Personnel Director Sergio Gor, affected watchdogs responsible for oversight at agencies including Agriculture, State, Interior, Defense, and Education. The dismissals were first reported by The Washington Post.

“The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency in an unprecedented purge that could clear the way for President Donald Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste, and abuse in the government,” the Post reporters wrote.

The firings included USDA Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong, who had served since 2002 after being appointed by President George W. Bush. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the move.

“This midnight purge of inspector generals, including at the USDA, is alarming and unprecedented,” Craig stated. “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 it’s disaster assistance for farmers or nutrition programs.”

Federal law mandates a 30-day notification period before removing Senate-confirmed inspectors general, a stipulation the administration did not appear to follow. According to The Washington Post, several watchdogs planned to report to work today despite their dismissals, raising questions about the legality of the firings.

“Time and time again, the Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t impose restrictions on the president’s power to remove officers,” Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. “Ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president. He wants new people in there. He wants new people focused on getting out waste and fraud and abuse and reforming these agencies. He has a right to get in there who he wants.”

Hannibal “Mike” Ware, chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and a fired inspector general himself, emphasized the role of IGs in maintaining government accountability.

“IGs across the Federal government work every day on behalf of American taxpayers to combat waste, fraud, and abuse,” Ware said. “IGs are not immune from removal. However, the law must be followed to protect independent government oversight for America.”

The White House hasn’t released an official list yet of those who were fired.

Criticism of the decision extended beyond agriculture. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, condemned the move as a “coup to overthrow legally protected independent inspectors general,” adding that it was an “attack on transparency and accountability, essential ingredients in our democratic form of government.”

Politico reported that the dismissals affected watchdogs at more than a dozen agencies, including the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The firings were described as part of a broader effort by President Trump to replace federal officials he viewed as disloyal.

Diana Shaw, a former acting inspector general at the State Department, called the removals “the travesty we feared may be coming.” Meanwhile, Ware suggested the legality of the firings would be contested, citing the failure to provide the required notification to Congress.

The late-night terminations have sparked bipartisan criticism, with lawmakers and independent oversight advocates warning that undermining inspectors general risks eroding public trust in government institutions during a time of heightened scrutiny and uncertainty.