To President Donald Trump, the most important character trait an underling can exhibit is loyalty to President Donald Trump. A president deserves advisers and support staff he can trust.

In some jobs, though, federal officials must put loyalty to the nation, adherence to the law, transparency and truthfulness above personal or political fealty. Nowhere is that more true than in the offices of the nation’s inspectors general. Their impartiality and fairness are crucial attributes, which makes this tear Trump has gone on against three highly regarded inspectors general both dangerous and destructive.

Tuesday Trump removed Glenn Fine from his position as acting inspector general of the Defense Department. That means Fine will also lose a key role he was named to by a panel of federal inspectors general last week, chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee that is overseeing the nation’s $2 trillion coronavirus relief package. Fine, a former Justice Department inspector general who has served four presidents over two decades, is widely regarded as a straight shooter whose loyalty is to the law. Trump’s removal of him is just the latest example of a pattern of undermining impartial oversight.

Late Friday, Trump fired Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson. An attorney who came into the Department of Justice after the 9/11 attacks, Atkinson was appointed to his current position by Trump, and promised to revive a largely defunct whistleblower program. He did so most famously by finding credible the claim of a CIA agent detailed to the White House that Trump solicited interference from the Ukrainian government in his reelection bid.

Atkinson was right to send the complaint to Congress. Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president was worthy of investigation, and led to his impeachment. But Atkinson failed to meet Trump’s key criterion: absolute loyalty.

This week, Trump has been on the warpath against Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm, furious with her report detailing shortages of supplies and delays in testing at hospitals across the country treating coronavirus victims. Asked about the report during his Monday evening news conference, Trump demanded, “When was she appointed? Do me a favor and let me know.” The implication was that Grimm is an Obama holdover out to embarrass him. Fact: Trump appointed her in January.

Trump’s demand of absolute loyalty is so extreme that it at times pushes underlings into actions that seem to appall even the President. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned Tuesday after his vicious attack on Capt. Brett Crozier, whom Modly relieved of duty for publicizing the vulnerability of his 5,000-member crew to the coronavirus. Modly’s move rightly infuriated the nation.

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Trump often puts his needs before the nation’s, or believes they are one and the same. Ideally, they would be. But when it comes to oversight, the nation needs fearless and impartial internal watchdogs. Trump’s demand for loyalists undermines the government’s ability to operate properly, and the nation’s belief that it can.

— The editorial board