Politico is now reporting that Donald Trump has once again left Republican lawmakers in the dark, leading to a rather awkward position on their part, after he recently fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick with apparently not so much as a list of talking points or a semblance of an explanation to the people that do his bidding in Congress.
The report states, “Senate Republicans find themselves in a familiar place: steamrolled by President Donald Trump’s purge of government watchdogs and offering little indication of how they plan to stop him,” adding that POTUS has failed to offer up “a clear explanation for his decision, as required by law.”
“The president has defied Senate Republicans without hesitation, continuing to fire and reassign inspectors general whom he feels are insufficiently loyal to him without engendering blowback from his party. It’s a dynamic that reflects both Trump’s hold on the GOP and the limits of Congress’ broader ability to rein in a president,” the Politico report reads.
GOP lawmakers say they’re waiting on Trump’s response to a letter from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the meantime that asked for an explanation regarding the sudden ousting of Linick. However, that hasn’t stopped them from letting reporters know how frustrated they are with Trump’s decision to blindside them all once again.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
“It’s very clear that the president has to provide a justification 30 days prior to the removal of an inspector general,” the co-author of the law that requires Congress be notified before an official’s removal, GOP Senator Susan Collins, said. “It is not a sufficient justification to say he simply lost confidence. As the co-author of that law, I know that is not what we intended. We intended a more fulsome explanation.”
The Politico report continues, “Trump’s decision to fire Linick without complying with the 2008 law is the latest example of the president’s concerted campaign against high-level administration officials in the aftermath of his acquittal in the Senate’s impeachment trial, with a particular focus on those who played a role in his impeachment.”
But Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-SD) didn’t sugar coat his thoughts regarding the president’s decision.
“We deserve an explanation,” Thune stated. “These are important positions. They are watchdogs for these agencies, and they have an important role to play, and I think it’s important for us to be a part of the oversight process.”
Grassley, who penned the letter demanding an explanation from Donald Trump, says that thus far, he’s been stonewalled by Trump’s White House.
“I had a telephone call maybe two weeks ago because I was complaining I didn’t get an answer,” Grassley claims. “And they said, ‘We’re gonna get you one right away.’ Well, they didn’t get it right away. But we’re gonna get it.”
GOPers are reportedly equally fuming about the lack of contact from Trump himself over the whole ordeal.
“Rather than heed the senators’ advice, Trump called out Collins in a tweet late Sunday night and said she and other senators should deal with ‘this whole whistleblower racket,'” the Politico report reads. “It was a direct shot not only at Collins but also at Grassley, who has long advocated for the independence of inspectors general and protections for whistleblowers.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t miss the opportunity to point out how Donald Trump is treating his own party members.
“Is a mild rebuke the most my Republican colleagues can muster? A tweet? Concerned statements? They are so afraid of President Trump, they cling almost to his ankles that when they know he is doing wrong, when they know he is hiding the truth, they’re afraid to say anything. They shudder. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Schumer said.
It won’t be long before Trump has screwed over every living soul that was willing to help him. And when that time comes, he’s done.
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
Like what you see here? Join the discussion on Facebook over at Americans For Sanity!
