In a significant shake-up during his first week in office, President Donald Trump dismissed 17 Inspectors General (IGs) in what has been described as a “Friday night purge.” The move underscores Trump’s commitment to reshaping federal oversight and addressing long-standing issues within government agencies.
Key Points
1. Dismissal of 17 Inspectors General
President Trump terminated IGs from various departments, including state, defense, and transportation, through immediate email notifications from the White House personnel director. Critics allege these dismissals reflect a strategy to overhaul oversight roles that Trump views as politically biased.
2. Retention of Key IGs
Trump retained Department of Homeland Security IG Joseph V. Cuffari Jr., who is investigating Secret Service failures tied to assassination attempts on Trump’s life. IG Michael Horowitz, known for controversial handling of past investigations, also remains in his position.
3. Allegations of Ineffectiveness
Real Clear Politics reporter Susan Crabtree highlighted that many of the dismissed IGs have histories of “whitewashing reports” and playing politics, undermining their role in identifying waste and abuse within the federal government.
4. Broader Shake-Up
This move follows the removal of over 150 national security and foreign policy officials earlier in the week. Trump’s swift actions signal a broader effort to reform federal agencies and align personnel with his administration’s goals.
In March 2023, Sheldon Shoemaker, the SBA’s inspector general, estimated that $86 billion had been misappropriated via fraud and waste. He shared his expectation that his future revised estimate would grow, given that the $86 billion total did not yet include an analysis of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) launched in 2020. He predicted a a future estimate of $100 billion or higher in losses via fraud and waste through the SBA’s “COVID-19 relief” measures, including the PPP and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. “It will be more than $100 billion,” Shoemaker predicted of the SBA’s future and final estimate of money lost to fraud an waste via his agency’s “COVID-19 relief” spending.
