Mitt Romney tears into President Trump for firing multiple inspectors general

Echoing the criticism of his congressional colleagues, Mitt Romney took a shot at President Donald Trump on Saturday for firing multiple inspectors general.

Trump informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday that he had fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Trump said that he no longer had "the fullest confidence" in Linick, which necessitated his immediate dismissal.

According to Romney, Trump's decision to fire three inspectors general in the past six weeks "is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power."

"The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose," Romney said.

In addition to Linick, Trump has also fired Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson and Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine.

Top congressional Democrats announced on Saturday they would open an investigation into the terminations, claiming they are evidence that Trump has engaged in a pattern of political retaliation.

But even top Republican leaders are criticizing Trump.

"As I've said before, Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG's removal. A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), on the other hand, outright questioned the legality of Linick's removal.

"The President has not provided the kind of justification for the removal of IG Linick required by this law," she said on Twitter.