President Donald Trump holds up outgoing President Joe Biden's letter as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
"There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so," Grassley said in a statement. "I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Inspector generals at federal agencies are called on to investigate government waste, fraud and abuse. They operate independently and can serve in multiple administrations.
The mass firing is Trump's latest attempt to force the federal bureaucracy into submission after he shut down diversity, equity and inclusion programs, rescinded job offers and sidelined more than 150 national security and foreign policy officials. Trump began his second term with the intent of purging any opponents of his agenda from the government and replacing them with officials who would execute his orders without hesitation.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., said the president's firing of more than a dozen inspector generals did not comply with federal law requiring him to give Congress 30 days' notice. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
"President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption," Warren posted on X.
During his first term, Trump fired five inspectors general in less than two months in 2020. This included the State Department, whose inspector general had played a role in the president's impeachment proceedings.
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Last year, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden fired the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, after an investigation found the official had created a hostile work environment.
In 2022, Congress passed reforms that strengthened protections for inspectors general and made it harder to replace them with political appointees, requiring the president to explain their removal.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fires-17-government-watchdogs-various-federal-agencies