Trump Fires U.S. Attorney One Hour After Swearing In

The Trump administration stood its ground Wednesday against a blatant judicial overreach, swiftly firing a court-appointed federal prosecutor in Seattle less than an hour after he took the oath of office. The decisive move firmly reestablished that the President — not local judges — runs the Executive Branch.

Roger Rogoff, a former state judge, was unilaterally installed as the interim U.S. Attorney for Western Washington by a panel of 17 district judges. The local bench completely bypassed the long-standing tradition of consulting with the White House, attempting to force their own preferred candidate into a critical law enforcement role.

The administration’s counter-strike was near-instantaneous. While Rogoff was waiting in the lobby of the federal prosecutor’s office, he received an email informing him that the President had terminated his appointment, ending his tenure before he could even unpack.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche drew a hard line on X, making it clear that the administration will not tolerate judicial interference in executive matters. “District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” Blanche posted, noting that the Seattle judges had abandoned the cooperative process required to ensure a candidate is qualified to serve the administration’s agenda.

District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them. WDWA judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.

Roger Rogoff has been…

— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 15, 2026

At its core, the swift dismissal is a vital defense of Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Under the Constitution’s Vesting and “Take Care” Clauses, the authority to enforce federal law belongs strictly to the President. Article II, Section I of the Constitution states, “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”  Article II, Section III of the Constitution states, “He shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”

While a loophole in statutory law allows judges to name temporary prosecutors when vacancies drag on, the administration maintains that the President holds absolute, un-reviewable authority to remove any executive official.

This is not the first time the administration has had to clean house after courts attempted to install their own picks. Earlier this year, the White House successfully dismantled similar judicial roadblocks in Virginia and New York, terminating court-appointed prosecutors James Hundley and Donald Kinsella within hours of their selection.

The administration’s decisive strategy ensures that top law enforcement officials remain democratically accountable to the president chosen by the American people.

While career bureaucrats and partisan lawmakers like Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) blasted the firing, the administration proved once again that it will not back down from a fight to defend executive authority. Rogoff has threatened legal action, but the administration remains confident that the Constitution leaves no doubt: the buck stops at the Resolute Desk.