The Saudi arms deal and the firing of State Department I.G.

President Trump and Sec. of State Pompeo fired the department's I.G., with reports suggesting it was motivated by an investigation into a massive Saudi arms deal.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Irqah Palace, in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, Thursday, February 20, 2020. Pompeo met with King Salman in the capital, Riyadh, on Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Irqah Palace, in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, Thursday, February 20, 2020. Pompeo met with King Salman in the capital, Riyadh, on Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)

Guests: Nahal Toosi, Joe Cirincione

President Trump at the urging of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo fired the State Department’s Inspector General, Steve Linick, on Friday. Reports suggest that the move was done in order to silence an investigation into the administrations sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, despite Congresses’ attempts to stop the deal. Also at issue are allegations that Pompeo and his wife used a political appointee to do personal errands. We begin today’s show  with POLITICO reporter NAHAL TOOSI who has been covering this story about IG’s firing and what lawmakers are saying about it. Then, JOE CIRINCIONE, President of the Ploughshares Fund, will join us to talk about the U.S.’s long history of selling arms to the Saudi’s, how America’s weapons are being used in the war in Yemen, and the influence of defense contractors on foreign policy.

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