Story perspectives

Trump Fires Newly Sworn-in U.S. Attorney Kinsella

2/14/2026

Center

Kinsella Dismissed Immediately

Donald Kinsella, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, was dismissed hours after his swearing-in.
Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Morgan DeWitt Snow wrote in an email that "the president directed that I be removed."
The U.S. District Court defended Kinsella’s appointment.
Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist, stepped down after a judge deemed her appointment improper.

Right

Trump's Attorney Dismissal

U.S. President Donald Trump has the power to remove court-appointed U.S. attorneys, according to former Justice Department official John Yoo.
Trump recently terminated Donald Kinsella, a U.S. attorney appointed by federal judges, sparking a dispute over control.
The Department of Justice argues that judges misinterpret the law by appointing U.S. attorneys, while Yoo says the president retains removal authority.
The DOJ has not escalated these cases to the Supreme Court.

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Kinsella Dismissed Immediately

Donald Kinsella, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, was dismissed hours after his swearing-in.
Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Morgan DeWitt Snow wrote in an email that "the president directed that I be removed."
The U.S. District Court defended Kinsella’s appointment.
Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist, stepped down after a judge deemed her appointment improper.

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