The White House fired the US attorney the same day he was appointed to participate
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President Donald Trump’s administration fired the US attorney general on the same day he was sworn into office by a federal court this week.
A panel of judges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York has tapped Donald T. Kinsella to serve as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, according to a court announcement that Kinsella was sworn in Wednesday. But Kinsella was ousted on Wednesday.
US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche did not comment on his firing in Wednesday’s letter to X.
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US President Donald Trump speaks at the “Champion of Coal” event at the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 11, 2026. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
“Judges don’t elect US Attorneys, @POTUS does. Look at Article II of our Constitution. You’re fired, Donald Kinsella,” Blanche wrote.
In a statement Thursday, the court noted, “Yesterday the United States District Court appointed United States attorney for the Northern District of New York, a vacant position.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks at a news conference to announce the review of the Epstein files at the Justice Department on Jan. 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“The Court exercised its authority under 28 USC § 546(d), which gives the district court the power to ‘appoint a United States Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled.’ The United States Constitution expressly provides for this grant of authority in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, which states in part: ‘Congress by Law may provide for the Appointment’ of such officers as United States Attorneys in ‘Courts of Law.’ At the end of the day, the Deputy Director of Personnel for the President, Morgan DeWitt Snow informed Mr. Kinsella has been removed as a legally appointed United States Attorney, without explanation,” the statement said.
“The Court thanks Donald T. Kinsella for his willingness to return to public service so that this vacancy can be filled by a trained, experienced former prosecutor, and his years of distinguished service serving the citizens of Upstate New York,” the statement added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Friday.
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U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III on Monday, April 28, 2025, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the James T. Foley Federal Courthouse in Albany, NY (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
Kinsella was appointed to replace John Sarcone III after a judge declared in January that he was acting as an illegal acting U.S. attorney, according to NBC News.
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The source said US District Judge Lorna Schofield ruled that the Justice Department acted improperly to keep Sarcone in the role beyond the 120-day limit for US attorneys who have not been confirmed by the Senate. He demoted himself to first assistant attorney while he was waiting for the appeal of the judge’s decision, the source said.
