Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says President Donald Trump fires inspectors general “when he hears the truth” instead of taking action based on their reports.
Trump drew criticism after he fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick last week, as IJR reported. Linick was the fourth inspector general to be removed in six weeks.
“Unfortunately … it seems to be what the president does when he hears the truth,” Schumer said during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday. “Instead of listening to it and adapting to it, he fires people.”
“When the president doesn’t listen to the truth, we all get hurt,” he added.
Watch the video below:
When asked about Pres. Trump’s frequent firing of inspector generals, @SenSchumer says this is “something the President does when he hears the truth.” https://t.co/h7cclONEP7 pic.twitter.com/fEPZ5oqpY4
— The View (@TheView) May 21, 2020
On Friday, Trump sent a letter to Congressional leaders to inform them that he would remove Linick from his position. Trump said he had lost confidence in Linick to do his job.
Shortly after the news that Trump removed Linick from his position, it was reported that he was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — which led Democrats to suggest that the removal may have been in retaliation for Linick’s investigation.
Pompeo said he recommended that Linick be fired, “I recommended to the president that Steve Linick be terminated. Frankly, should have done it some time ago.”
However, Pompeo insisted that he was not aware Linick was investigating at the time. He added, “It’s not possible for there to have been retaliation.”
Schumer said he wants to an investigation into the matter, “I don’t know of their truth, but I certainly want an independent watchdog to investigate.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also weighed in and called Linick’s removal “scandalous.”
“Let’s see how this unfolds,” Pelosi said, adding, “But what it is that we know so far is scandalous.”
