The removal of Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) as chair of the House Intelligence Committee signals that allegiance to President-elect Donald Trump may take precedence over national interests in the Republican-controlled Congress, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) warned Thursday.
“It sends a message to the House and to the Senate that Trump is going to put personal loyalty to him ahead of the national interest and the United States’ security interests,” Blumenthal said during an interview on CNN. Turner’s ouster has been attributed to pressure from Trump, raising concerns about the president-elect’s influence over key congressional decisions.
Blumenthal praised Turner as a “serious leader of the intelligence community in terms of oversight” and expressed alarm at his removal. “I’m disappointed and disgusted that he has been purged from this position and replaced with someone who is far less qualified,” Blumenthal stated. “But I’m also really disappointed and disgusted with this purge as being part of a larger trend that we’re seeing.”
The Connecticut senator described Turner’s removal as part of a broader “tragic trend” emerging as Trump prepares to assume office. Blumenthal pointed to Trump’s nominees for high-level government positions as further evidence of the president-elect’s prioritization of loyalty over competence.
“He has a nominee for the FBI who says he’s going to purge the ranks of that dedicated group of investigators and enforcers at the FBI,” Blumenthal said, highlighting concerns about the future of law enforcement under Trump. “A nominee for attorney general who’s going to apparently support that effort, and a nominee for the Department of Defense who says that he’s going to purge the United States military of non-loyalists to Donald Trump.”
Blumenthal warned that these developments could undermine U.S. security and governance, calling the trend “very dangerous and tragic.” He expressed particular concern about the potential erosion of independent oversight and accountability in critical institutions.
The shake-up involving Turner and Trump’s staffing decisions reflects the president-elect’s tightening grip on government functions ahead of his inauguration. As Trump’s administration takes shape, questions about the balance between loyalty and national interest will likely remain a central point of contention in the days to come.