A Washington Post investigation published March 19 found that federal inspectors general — the independent watchdogs legally mandated to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse across executive agencies — have lost approximately 16.6% of their workforce since January 2025, outpacing broader government downsizing. The administration carried out a mass firing of inspectors general in early 2025, which a federal court later ruled was unlawful; however, the court declined to reinstate the dismissed officials, leaving the watchdog offices weakened. Political allies have been installed in key oversight roles, and remaining staff report a climate of pressure that discourages independent inquiry into administration-aligned activities. Legal experts interviewed for the piece described the dismantling of inspector general independence as a textbook indicator of democratic erosion in comparative historical cases, noting that internal accountability mechanisms are typically among the first institutions targeted by governments seeking to consolidate power. The weakening of watchdog offices removes a critical legal check within the executive branch itself.

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