Trump's night tree - fired 17 government "watchdogs"
Alex Rodriguez
Published 12.15
Late Friday night, Donald Trump cleaned up the top echelons of the American government.
In a dramatic night tree, he fired 17 government "watchdogs" - whose task is to combat corruption and abuse within federal agencies.
- It's a widespread massacre, says one of the fired top executives.
It has been a tumultuous week for the US federal bureaucracy, since Donald Trump took office as president.
Through a long series of sharp presidential orders, Trump has ensured that he has launched extensive cuts to government agencies, repealed several of Joe Biden's newly introduced laws and taken the US out of the Paris Agreement and the WHO.
A hard blow to Trump's opponents
As a dramatic end to the work week, Trump launched a night raid on Friday.
The operation is perceived as a major blow to those who may try to hinder him in the exercise of power, according to the New York Times.
Late on Friday, he fired 17 federal supervisory directors, so-called "watchdogs", at several federal agencies.
To prevent government corruption
The "watchdogs" are tasked with monitoring and auditing the agencies to ensure efficiency and prevent abuse and fraud within the state.
- It is a widespread massacre. Whoever Trump puts in now will be seen as loyalists, and it undermines the entire system, one of the fired top executives told the Washington Post.
The mass dismissal is similar to how Trump acted during his previous presidential term in 2020. When he fired five federal inspector generals.
That time, Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, was fired, among others. It was seen as a move to get rid of people who could harm him, according to the New York Times.
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Trump has fired dozens of inspectors
TT
Published 19.35
At least twelve independent inspector generals, who are tasked with reviewing the work of American agencies, have been fired.
The move is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump and his administration to reshape the American state apparatus.
The dismissal of up to 20 inspector generals began on Friday evening, and came without warning. It has also caused Republicans to react.
The law requires Congress to be notified at least 30 days in advance of the firing of an inspector general.
“There may be good reasons for them to be fired. But if they are, we need to know. I want to see further explanations from the president,” said Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee.
But the statement was a west wind against the protests of Democrats.
“This is a chilling purge and a glimpse into the way Donald Trump and his administration will too often act,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in the chamber.
Exactly how many or which inspector generals have been fired has not been made public. According to The Washington Post, at least those who are supposed to oversee the work of the departments of agriculture, commerce, defense and education have been fired.
Schumer, like many of his party colleagues, points out that the role of inspector generals is to put an end to corruption, misconduct and fraud within the agencies.
Referring to Trump's words that "America's golden era begins now," Schumer says:
- This is a clear sign that we are entering a golden era of abuse of power and corruption.
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