So President Trump has fired a whole host of federal agency Inspectors General without providing either the 30-day notification to Congress or the "substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons" why an Inspector General was removed, both of which are, unambiguously, required by law. Josh Blackman asks:
"What is Trump's justification for not providing the notification? Maybe the restriction can't be applied to a new President who has just come into office? Does Trump think that the thirty-day clock infringe on his Article II removal power? Is he daring one of the IGs to sue him, to set up a Supreme Court test case?"
Let me respectfully suggest that Josh has overlooked the most obvious answer to the question, which is: He [Trump] couldn't care less. He has figured it out: He can do whatever he wants, and nobody can stop him. Unilaterally impose 25% tariffs on Colombian imports? Do it. Withhold federal disaster relief to cities that don't assist ICE agents carrying out their raids? Absolutely. Halt all payments due for dispersal under NIH research grants until grantees dismantle their DEI programs? Sure.
