READ: Trump letter on removing State Dept. inspector general

President Trump on Friday announced that he would be replacing the State Department’s inspector general, a move that has stoked fierce backlash from Democrats.

Trump wrote in a letter to congressional leaders that he “no longer” has “the fullest confidence” in the inspector general, Steve Linick, and would replace him in 30 days.

Linick, who was first appointed to the post in 2013 under then-President Obama, is the latest watchdog to be removed by the Trump administration in recent weeks.

A State Department spokesperson told The Hill that Ambassador Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer, will replace Linick.

Read Trump’s full letter below: