White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump’s decision to fire at least 17 inspectors general, saying that the administration believes the president is within his power to do so. Leavitt argued that Trump is the executive of the executive branch and has the power to fire anyone within the branch that he wishes to.
She referenced a 2020 Supreme Court decision, Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which ruled that the CFPB’s agency structure violates the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Leavitt said that this case is the legality that the White House was resting on and advised reporters to look at the case.
The terminations have sparked deep concern from lawmakers, who noted that the independent watchdogs were created to identify and root out government waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct. Many of the individuals fired were also installed during Trump’s first term, and lawmakers have noted that Trump ordered the terminations without notifying Congress of his intent to do so at least 30 days in advance, as required for the Senate-confirmed roles.
A group of House Democrats criticized the action as “unethical,” arbitrary, and illegal. Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently, according to the lawmakers.
Leavitt also claimed that the Trump administration is confident that the firings will survive any potential challenges in court. When asked if the administration believed its order would survive a lawsuit or court challenge from the former inspectors general, Leavitt responded affirmatively, saying, “We will win in court.”