The legal justification for the firings is murky, given that Congress strengthened protections for inspectors general from undue terminations when it amended the Inspector General Act in 2022.
The law requires a 30-day notification window between the White House informing Congress of its intent to fire an inspe…
The legal justification for the firings is murky, given that Congress strengthened protections for inspectors general from undue terminations when it amended the Inspector General Act in 2022.
The law requires a 30-day notification window between the White House informing Congress of its intent to fire an inspector general and that inspector general being removed from on-duty status. The White House must also provide substantive reasons for why the inspector general is being removed.
I’m confident Speaker Mike Johnson right now is formulating a stern bipartisan letter objecting to Trump’s failure to meet his obligation to first notify Congress.
I think congressional Republicans are in complete denial about the multiple constitutional crises that Trump will engender. He is already flouting established law, and it's only week 1. IGs are supposed to have bipartisan backing in the Senate; will Thune and co. actually do anything about this? Probably nothing but exhibit endless Susan Collins-esque "concerns" to the Tigerbeat Beltway press as Trump walks us right into a Hungarian dictatorship.
Our saving grace in this is that he's so old and unhealthy that sticking around unconstitutionally would be physically difficult for him. Which is not the same as impossible, unfortunately.
Exactly, most probably agree with it and the few that oppose are gonna keep their yappers shut in order to not get a primary opponent with the Orange furors endorsement.
It's not Thune etc. who will do anything here, but the courts might. DC circuit is where all this would be heard, and it's full of some extremely pissed-off judges right now thanks to those Jan. 6 pardons.
If they don't, which I think is possible even though they haven't before, they'll make an enemy of the court system, even this conservative one. SCOTUS likes conservatives but also likes its own power. And if we get in a posture of full-on defiance of all court orders, I don't think they have the ability to sustain the kind of repression it would take to win that fight.
That's why it comes down to the Senate. They have to insist that no agreements can happen in that body if the Admin is simply going to withhold mandated disbursements or just ignore statutes willy nilly.
If Republicans overall do NOTHING because they're terrified of Trump, 2026 midterms should be EASY for Democrats:
"The government is broken. Checks & balances are nonexistent with terrified rubber stamps and blank checks. This Congress is blindly loyal to Trump, Musk and the ultrawealthy while average Americans are paying the price and suffering everywhere. 2 years single-party rule has been an unmitigated disaster, worse than anyone thought"!! 💙🇺🇲
14 Inspector Generals fired:
The legal justification for the firings is murky, given that Congress strengthened protections for inspectors general from undue terminations when it amended the Inspector General Act in 2022.
The law requires a 30-day notification window between the White House informing Congress of its intent to fire an inspector general and that inspector general being removed from on-duty status. The White House must also provide substantive reasons for why the inspector general is being removed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna189261
Over to you congressional Democats.
I’m confident Speaker Mike Johnson right now is formulating a stern bipartisan letter objecting to Trump’s failure to meet his obligation to first notify Congress.
/s
I think congressional Republicans are in complete denial about the multiple constitutional crises that Trump will engender. He is already flouting established law, and it's only week 1. IGs are supposed to have bipartisan backing in the Senate; will Thune and co. actually do anything about this? Probably nothing but exhibit endless Susan Collins-esque "concerns" to the Tigerbeat Beltway press as Trump walks us right into a Hungarian dictatorship.
Walks? Seems more like a mad sprint to me.
Our saving grace in this is that he's so old and unhealthy that sticking around unconstitutionally would be physically difficult for him. Which is not the same as impossible, unfortunately.
What makes you think that, except for a couple, any of the 273 Republicans care.
Exactly, most probably agree with it and the few that oppose are gonna keep their yappers shut in order to not get a primary opponent with the Orange furors endorsement.
Agreed. It's not being "unaware" or "unprepared" - most just give zero fucks. Those who do DGAF actively LIKE (or even love) it.
It's not Thune etc. who will do anything here, but the courts might. DC circuit is where all this would be heard, and it's full of some extremely pissed-off judges right now thanks to those Jan. 6 pardons.
That's assuming this Administration will adhere to judicial rulings.
If they don't, which I think is possible even though they haven't before, they'll make an enemy of the court system, even this conservative one. SCOTUS likes conservatives but also likes its own power. And if we get in a posture of full-on defiance of all court orders, I don't think they have the ability to sustain the kind of repression it would take to win that fight.
Trump can pardon every right-wing terrorist who attacks people.
Real question: Who in America is going to enforce court rulings when (not if) the Trump regime decides to ignore them?
That's why it comes down to the Senate. They have to insist that no agreements can happen in that body if the Admin is simply going to withhold mandated disbursements or just ignore statutes willy nilly.
Both of which the Trump regime is already doing.
If Republicans overall do NOTHING because they're terrified of Trump, 2026 midterms should be EASY for Democrats:
"The government is broken. Checks & balances are nonexistent with terrified rubber stamps and blank checks. This Congress is blindly loyal to Trump, Musk and the ultrawealthy while average Americans are paying the price and suffering everywhere. 2 years single-party rule has been an unmitigated disaster, worse than anyone thought"!! 💙🇺🇲
In other words, Let Trump Be Trump, and the 2026 election will be huge for Democrats