President Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general in a Friday night massacre that threatens to neutralize the independent oversight performed by these good government watchdogs.

Among a dizzying first week of actions, these terminations stood out for their deviation from a longstanding bipartisan consensus on retaining inspectors general after elections. Trump did not comply with congressional notice requirements, and the move was apparently inconsistent with his administration’s stated interest in efficiency.

Congress must hold Trump accountable for these personnel decisions and take steps to maintain inspectors generals' abilities to monitor the government’s honesty and efficiency.

Federal inspectors general and their staff serve the critical function of detecting and preventing fraud, waste and abuse by conducting impartial investigations and audits of departments and agencies. They are highly effective.

In fiscal 2023, federal inspector general oversight resulted in $93 billion in savings, more than 4,000 criminal prosecutions and more than 7,000 noncriminal actions. Yet inspectors general are also susceptible to attack due to their scrutiny of executive branch wrongdoing and failures.

Unlike political appointees, inspectors general remain in place after elections. No president had removed an inspector general during a transition since Reagan. Speaking on........

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