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President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, issued an order for the immediate termination of all U.S. attorneys who had been appointed under Joe Biden. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump criticized the Department of Justice, accusing it of unprecedented politicization over the past four years and insisting that a complete restructuring was necessary.
“Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining ‘Biden Era’ U.S. Attorneys.
“We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY!” he said.
According to The Eastern Updates, it is a well-established norm in the U.S. for an incoming president to dismiss and replace federal prosecutors, known as U.S. attorneys, who were appointed under the prior administration.
Read also: Donald Trump Kick-Starts Moves To End Ukraine, Russian War
With 93 U.S. attorneys spread across 94 federal court districts—two of which share a single attorney—the role of these prosecutors remains pivotal to the American justice system. However, controversy erupted last week when Danielle Sassoon, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, abruptly resigned after the Department of Justice ordered her to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The move has intensified scrutiny over the Justice Department’s handling of politically sensitive cases.
Denise Cheung, who led the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, resigned on Tuesday after being directed to launch an investigation into EPA funding approved during President Biden’s administration. The move underscores the growing political divide over federal agencies’ financial decisions and has raised fresh concerns about the potential weaponization of prosecutorial power.
On Wednesday, the White House sent around notification of termination to a number of US attorneys who were appointed by Biden. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California also said last week that US Attorney Tara McGrath was notified that her tenure ended on February 12 and that Andrew R. Haden would take over.
