In a controversial political move, the Trump administration has dismissed approximately 17 independent inspectors general from various federal agencies, an action that has drawn severe criticism from both sides of the aisle in Congress. The firings, which began late Friday night, have been described as an unprecedented effort to remove oversight of federal operations, with legal experts suggesting they may violate federal laws regarding termination notification.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer characterized the dismissals as a "chilling purge," accusing President Trump of being "terrified of accountability" and hostile to transparent governance. “These firings are Donald Trump’s way of telling us he is terrified of accountability and is hostile to facts and transparency,” Schumer proclaimed on the Senate floor.

According to reports, insiders indicated that inspectors general received emails from the director of presidential personnel late Friday, stating, “due to changing priorities, your position as inspector general… is terminated, effective immediately.” Among the dismissed were the inspector generals for the Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration.

This mass firing drew swift bipartisan backlash, with Senator Chuck Grassley expressing concerns over the lack of the legally required 30-day notification to Congress, stating, “There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so.... the law demands was not provided to Congress.”

Critics argue that the role of inspectors general—established post-Watergate to ensure accountability—has been jeopardized. The group is tasked with uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse within agencies without direct political influence. Referring to the firings as a “Friday night coup,” Democrat Gerald Connolly stated that such actions could lead to replacing impartial inspectors with politically aligned appointees.

The suspicion surrounding the legality of these firings lies in a letter from Hannibal Ware, the inspector general for the Small Business Administration, who recommended the White House counsel be consulted on the legality of the dismissals. In his communication, he argued that the actions taken were not legally sufficient.

Concerns over potential consequences from this action were echoed widely, with Senator Elizabeth Warren asserting that President Trump was dismantling critical checks and balances that prevent abuses of power—characterizing the dismissals as paving the way for widespread governmental corruption.

This purge comes just days into Trump’s second term, amid a broader strategy to remake the federal government through executive orders and other actions that threaten traditional checks on presidential power.

The White House has yet to comment officially on the mass dismissals, representing a continuation of a broader contentious relationship with oversight and accountability as defined by these independent watchdogs.

For more details, refer to HuffPost, AP News, or CBS News.