Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, defended President Donald Trump’s decision to fire 18 inspectors general this week, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled in Trump’s favor as it relates to his power to fire federal employees.
Cotton made the remarks during a Sunday interview on “Fox News Sunday” when asked about the firings by host Shannon Bream after critics have called the move illegal because Trump did not first notify Congress.
“Time and time again, the Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t impose restrictions on the president’s power to remove officers,” Cotton said. “In President Trump’s first term, he removed the Director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau despite limitations on the President’s constitutional power to remove officers, that was litigated at the Supreme Court and the president won.”
“So ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the President,” he added. “He wants new people in there. He wants people who focused on getting out waste and fraud and abuse and reforming these agencies, he has a right to have to get in there who he wants.”
When asked if he thinks that those roles will be filled by Trump, Cotton said: “I believe so.”
“When he says he wants to fill those offices, maybe he won’t fill them immediately, because there’s an entire administration to staff, and he may have other priorities, but I think the President’s inherent power to remove officers will be upheld if it’s challenged in court, as it has been time and again for Democratic and Republican Presidents alike,” he said.
WATCH:
WATCH: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) defends President Trump firing inspectors general:
“Time and time again, the Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t impose restrictions on the president’s power to remove officers…” pic.twitter.com/c6rf7RJFGX
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 26, 2025
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[[{“value”:”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, defended President Donald Trump’s decision to fire 18 inspectors general this week, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled in Trump’s favor as it relates to his power to fire federal employees.
Cotton made the remarks during a Sunday interview on “Fox News Sunday” when asked about the firings by host Shannon Bream after critics have called the move illegal because Trump did not first notify Congress.
“Time and time again, the Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t impose restrictions on the president’s power to remove officers,” Cotton said. “In President Trump’s first term, he removed the Director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau despite limitations on the President’s constitutional power to remove officers, that was litigated at the Supreme Court and the president won.”
“So ultimately, these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the President,” he added. “He wants new people in there. He wants people who focused on getting out waste and fraud and abuse and reforming these agencies, he has a right to have to get in there who he wants.”
When asked if he thinks that those roles will be filled by Trump, Cotton said: “I believe so.”
“When he says he wants to fill those offices, maybe he won’t fill them immediately, because there’s an entire administration to staff, and he may have other priorities, but I think the President’s inherent power to remove officers will be upheld if it’s challenged in court, as it has been time and again for Democratic and Republican Presidents alike,” he said.
WATCH:
WATCH: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) defends President Trump firing inspectors general:
“Time and time again, the Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t impose restrictions on the president’s power to remove officers…” pic.twitter.com/c6rf7RJFGX
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 26, 2025
“}]]
