Donald Trump fires Biden-appointed US attorneys

President Donald Trump has begun firing the remaining federal prosecutors appointed by Joe Biden.

Why It Matters

Trump has not coordinated the firings with the Justice Department (DOJ) office that oversees federal prosecutors, leading to some confusion and uncertainty.

In addition, by removing remaining Biden appointees, Trump is paving the way for a new emphasis within the prosecution system, such as the removal of illegal immigrants.

Newsweek sought email comment from the Justice Department on Thursday.

What To Know

Since the Bill Clinton era, it has been routine for incoming presidents to fire the previous administration’s federal prosecutors, known as U.S. attorneys.

According to an online article on Bloomberg on February 13, the Trump administration did not coordinate the firings with the DOJ’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, which is standard procedure.

Bloomberg said two sources had said that the Trump administration had put no successorship plan in place for at least one U.S. attorney, leading to confusion over who would sign court filings.

The sources told Bloomberg that the firings were relayed in a one-sentence message informing the U.S. attorneys that they had been terminated, effective immediately, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump.

U.S. attorneys who received their termination emails this week include those in Seattle, Baltimore and San Francisco.

Bloomberg also reported that exiting U.S. attorneys were given two days to explain why staff lawyers they have hired in recent years should be retained by the Trump administration.

The White House has especially targeted staff lawyers who prosecuted Trump supporters for taking part in the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

In late January, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed the acting U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C., to fire prosecutors who had been involved in the January 6 cases.

Since Trump took office, his administration has also ordered the firings of hundreds of civil service, government watchdogs and career officials.

What People Are Saying

An email sent from the White House to Biden’s remaining U.S. attorneys this week read: “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as U.S. Attorney is terminated, effective immediately,” Reuters news agency reported.

In response, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek Barron, sent out an office-wide farewell email in which he wrote: “As many of you may know by now, my time with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has come to an end. It has been an honor to lead such a talented and dedicated team.”

What Happens Next

Trump is replacing U.S. attorneys across the country with his own nominees, which will have to be approved by the Senate.

According to the Senate website, “The vast majority of nominations are routinely confirmed, while a small but sometimes highly visible number of nominees fail to receive action or are rejected by the Senate.”