Critics stunned as Trump administration reveals reasons for NTSB official’s abrupt firing

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

The White House was a revolving door during Donald Trump's first presidency, which found him clashing with many of his appointees and announcing their firings on social media. Firings of administration officials, however, haven't been nearly as common during Trump's second term, as he has made a point of surrounding himself with MAGA loyalists. But on Thursday, March 5, the news broke that Trump was firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and nominating Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma).

Noem wasn't the only one who was fired that week. CBS News reported that Todd Inman had been fired the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In a statement to CBS News, Inman said he learned he was being fired on March 6. And details on possible reasons why he was fired emerged on March 9.

"To date," Inman told CBS News on March 8, "I have not received any reason for this termination."

But CBS News' Jennifer Jacobs, on March 9, tweeted, "NEWS: White House is citing use of alcohol on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of govt resources as reasons Todd Inman removed from National Transportation Safety Board, per @CBSNews @emmacnicholso . Inman was the NTSB's initial on-scene spokesman at midair collision in D.C. He said Sunday he hadn't been given reason for dismissal."

Inman served in the U.S. Department of Transportation during Trump's first presidency, reporting to then-Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (who is married to former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell).

Inman, on March 8, referenced the aviation disasters that occurred during his time on the NTSB.

Inman told CBS News, "Having been the member on scene for two of the largest aviation incidents in the past two decades, working with all of the impacted families and first responders has made me appreciate how the original mission of the NTSB is more crucial now than ever before. Witnessing these horrible accidents have undoubtedly taken a toll on me and my family and has changed my perspective in a positive way on how we regulate safety for the traveling public."

Inman's firing is generating a lot of comments on X.

Inside Elections' Nathan Gonzales tweeted, "Kind of interesting reasoning in light of news about another Cabinet official."

Business consultant John Hochroth posted, "Are they firing him because he did these things, or because he didn't do enough of them?"

X user Jocelyn Johnson remarked, "Real reason for his dismissal: he refused to blame DEI for the crash."

Another X user, Piper Holmes, wrote, "So basically we’ll never know why he was fired. (It's not like this administration is ever truthful)."

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