Trump Fires Court-Appointed Seattle U.S. Attorney Minutes After Swearing-In
President Donald Trump fired court-appointed U.S. attorney Roger Rogoff in Seattle minutes after Rogoff was sworn in before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.[1]
Rogoff says he was told of the removal by email while waiting in the U.S. Attorney's Office lobby and is consulting other lawyers about suing over the firing.[1] Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly defended the firing on social media, saying district judges can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney but the president can fire them and accusing the judges of abandoning consultation.[2]
All 17 active and senior judges in the Western District of Washington — appointed by five different presidents — unanimously ordered Rogoff's appointment after a bipartisan screening panel reviewed applications.[1] The office has lacked a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney since mid-2023.[2] President Trump fired another court-appointed U.S. attorney, Tessa Gorman, after taking office in January 2025, and had not named a nominee as of July 15, 2026.[2]
Charles Neil Floyd had served as interim U.S. attorney until his 120-day term expired in February 2026.[1] After that, the administration re-designated him as first assistant while the top post remained vacant, a move an appeals court panel criticized as likely unlawful in May 2026.[1]
Federal judges in several districts have used statutory authority to appoint U.S. attorneys after 120-day interim terms expired.[2] The Trump administration then fired those appointees while trying to keep its own interim picks in place under a different statute.[2] Sen. Patty Murray called Rogoff 'eminently qualified' and accused the administration of trying to bypass the Senate's advice-and-consent role.[2]
The mainstream summary frames the firing of U.S. attorney Roger Rogoff as a straightforward exercise of presidential authority, yet Brenna Bird in The Wall Street Journal argues that such abrupt removals threaten judicial impartiality and the rule of law. She contends that political interference in judicial appointments undermines the essential institutional supports that ensure fair and impartial courts, highlighting that the Federal Judicial Center plays a crucial role in maintaining these standards. This perspective suggests that the mainstream coverage may downplay the broader implications of Rogoff's firing for judicial independence and the integrity of the legal system.
Additionally, while the summary notes the unanimous support for Rogoff's appointment from judges across party lines, it does not emphasize the potential ramifications of this action on the nonpartisan infrastructure of the judiciary. Bird argues that protecting judicial impartiality is not merely about high-profile cases but involves safeguarding the processes and institutions that uphold justice. This critical viewpoint challenges the mainstream narrative by framing the firing as part of a concerning trend of politicization in judicial appointments, rather than just a procedural decision by the president.
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Roger Rogoff was sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and was informed by email of his removal less than an hour later while waiting in the U.S. Attorney's Office lobby (Roger Rogoff).
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly defended the firing on social media, asserting that while district judges can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney the president can fire them and accusing the judges of abandoning a “time‑honored process of consultation with the administration” (Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche).
- All 17 active and senior judges in the Western District of Washington — appointed by five different presidents — unanimously ordered Rogoff's appointment after a bipartisan screening panel reviewed applications (all 17 active and senior judges in the Western District of Washington).
- The Western District of Washington has lacked a Senate‑confirmed U.S. attorney since mid‑2023; President Trump previously fired another court‑appointed U.S. attorney there, Tessa Gorman, after taking office in January 2025, and as of July 15, 2026 Trump had not named a nominee for a Senate‑confirmed U.S. attorney (Western District of Washington).
- Charles Neil Floyd had served as interim U.S. attorney until his 120‑day term expired in February 2026, was re‑designated by the administration as first assistant while the top post remained vacant, and a U.S. appeals court panel criticized that maneuver as likely unlawful in May 2026 (Charles Neil Floyd).
- The episode fits a broader pattern in which federal judges in multiple districts (including Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Nevada) used their statutory authority to appoint U.S. attorneys after 120‑day interim terms expired, only to have those appointees fired by the Trump administration while the administration sought to keep its own interim picks in place under a different statute (broader pattern).
- Sen. Patty Murray issued a written statement calling Rogoff “eminently qualified,” saying he was appointed legally by the judges and accusing the administration of trying to bypass the Senate’s advice‑and‑consent role to install loyalists (Sen. Patty Murray).
- Rogoff says he is consulting with other lawyers about suing over his firing, indicating a potential legal challenge to the removal (Rogoff).
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"The author warns that judicial impartiality is at risk and argues that preserving nonpartisan institutions like the Federal Judicial Center — which quietly trains judges and sustains courtroom norms — is essential to prevent politicizing and undermining the courts, a concern raised amid recent high‑profile executive interventions such as the abrupt firing of a court‑appointed U.S. attorney."
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Article specifies that Roger Rogoff was sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and was informed by email of his removal less than an hour later while waiting in the U.S. Attorney's Office lobby.
- Rogoff says he is consulting with other lawyers about suing over his firing.
- The piece details that all 17 active and senior judges in the Western District of Washington, appointed by five different presidents, unanimously ordered Rogoff's appointment after a bipartisan screening panel reviewed applications.
- The article explains that after Charles Neil Floyd's 120‑day interim term as U.S. attorney expired in February 2026, the Trump administration re-designated him as first assistant U.S. attorney while leaving the top post vacant, a maneuver a U.S. appeals court panel criticized as likely unlawful in May 2026.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly defended the firing on social media, asserting that while district judges can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney, the president can fire them, and accusing the judges of abandoning a "time-honored process of consultation with the administration."
- Sen. Patty Murray issued a written statement calling Rogoff "eminently qualified," asserting that he was appointed legally by the judges, and accusing the administration of bypassing Senate advice-and-consent to install loyalists.
- The article notes a parallel case in December 2025, when Alina Habba resigned as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey after an appeals court held she was serving unlawfully in that role, reflecting a broader pattern of contested Trump-era interim U.S. attorney appointments.
- Article specifies that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly accused Western District of Washington judges of abandoning a 'time-honored process of consultation with the administration' in their appointment of Roger Rogoff.
- It details that the Western District of Washington has lacked a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney since mid-2023 and that President Trump previously fired another court-appointed U.S. attorney there, Tessa Gorman, after taking office in January 2025.
- The piece outlines a broader pattern in which federal judges in several districts (including Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Nevada) have used their statutory authority to appoint U.S. attorneys after 120-day interim terms expired, and in which Trump then fired those appointees and sought to keep his own interim picks in place under a different statute.
- The article notes that as of July 15, 2026, Trump has not named a nominee for a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney in Seattle and that Charles Neil Floyd remains first assistant and had previously served as interim U.S. attorney until his 120-day term expired in February 2026.
- Sen. Patty Murray is quoted calling Rogoff 'eminently qualified' and accusing the administration of trying to bypass the Senate's advice-and-consent role to install a loyalist U.S. attorney.