Ranking Member Takano’s Statement on Trump’s Late-Night Purge of 12 Inspectors General

WASHINGTON – Last night, President Trump fired 12 inspectors general of major federal agencies, including Inspector General Michael Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), who has served in this Senate-confirmed position since 2016.

Ranking Member Takano said, “This late-night purge of the Inspectors General that Congress and the American people depend on for transparency and accountability in our government is not only reprehensible, it is illegal. These firings are a blatant attack by the Trump-Vance Administration on the independent, nonpartisan federal watchdogs that identify fraud, waste, and abuse in the government. This is a repetition of the same actions in the first Trump Administration, which led to the installation of loyalists and sycophants. 

President Trump is gearing up to install an Inspector General at VA who will lack independence from Trump and will wield the authority of the position to retaliate against the President’s perceived political opponents or to conceal or otherwise fail to investigate any wrongdoing that may implicate Trump and his allies over the next four years. These actions will directly harm veterans. 

Inspector General Missal has served his office with integrity and led a number of unbiased investigations during the Biden and first Trump Administrations that Congress relied on to perform its oversight duties and improve the quality of care and benefits delivered to our nation’s veterans. 

Congress must stand firm on the law, repudiate President Trump’s actions, and maintain the integrity of independent Inspectors General."

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