President Donald Trump conducted a late-night purge of at least 17 inspectors general without providing required notice or rationale to Congress, which appears to violate federal law. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., admitted that Trump technically broke the law during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Graham justified Trump’s actions by stating that the president has the authority to make personnel decisions. The firings have raised concerns about replacing watchdogs with loyalists in key departments such as defense and Veterans Affairs.