University of Michigan Law School Professor Barbara McQuade has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s reported plans to fire thousands of FBI agents, arguing that his actions are undermining law enforcement and threatening public safety.
In an editorial for Bloomberg on Thursday, McQuade condemned Trump’s alleged move to terminate as many as 5,000 FBI agents, particularly those involved in investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. The criticism follows reports that Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll outlining “terminations” of high-ranking FBI officials.
McQuade argued that these dismissals, along with Trump’s mass firings, “send a terrible message” and are “degrading the rule of law.” She pointed out that Trump has already pardoned or granted clemency to numerous January 6 defendants, which, she said, effectively rewards “vigilantes” for “taking the law into their own hands as long as they act in service to the leader.”
By firing the very FBI agents who pursued these cases, McQuade warned that Trump is eroding trust in law enforcement. “It suggests that FBI agents did something wrong in prosecuting those who broke the law,” she wrote.
In a memo issued on Wednesday, Bove attempted to reassure remaining FBI employees, stating they would not face termination if they had “simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner.” He claimed that only those who acted “with corrupt or partisan intent” and contributed to “weaponizing the FBI” should be concerned.
McQuade, however, warned that such rhetoric has a “chilling effect” on law enforcement, discouraging FBI agents from investigating powerful figures for fear of political retribution. She stressed that investigators are tasked with upholding the law, not catering to political agendas.
She also reminded readers that the federal workforce has long-standing protections against politically motivated firings, ensuring continuity across different administrations. “The so-called deep state is not a rogue operation thwarting a president from carrying out his mandate. It is a group of professionals upholding the law from abuses of power,” McQuade wrote.
She further cautioned that reducing the number of FBI agents could lead to a surge in unchecked crimes, as fewer investigators would mean fewer cases solved. Even if Trump plans to replace the fired agents, the process of recruiting, vetting, and training new personnel takes months, leaving the nation vulnerable in the meantime.
McQuade’s concerns echo those of former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who also warned that the FBI purges could have long-term consequences. “These actions gut everything the FBI stands for,” McQuade concluded.