News Brief
Trump Fires All Remaining Biden-Appointed US Attorneys In Justice Department Overhaul
US President Donald Trump. (Scott Olson/GettyImages)
United States (US) President Donald Trump on Tuesday (18 February) announced the immediate termination of all remaining US attorneys appointed by his predecessor Joe Biden.
Trump described the move as part of his efforts to "clean house" and restore public confidence in the Department of Justice (DOJ), reported AFP.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused the DOJ of being politicised like never before under the previous administration.
"Over the past four years, the Department of Justice has been politicised like never before. Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining 'Biden Era' US Attorneys," he was quoted as saying by AFP.
"We must 'clean house' IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America's Golden Age must have a fair Justice System - THAT BEGINS TODAY!" he added.
It is standard practice for a new president to replace US attorneys—the top federal prosecutors in each judicial district—nominated by their predecessor.
Since taking office, Trump has led a sweeping shakeup of the DOJ, firing, demoting, or reassigning several high-ranking officials.
The department has been at the centre of controversy, particularly given the criminal cases previously brought against Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith, which were later abandoned.
Many Biden-appointed US attorneys had already resigned following Trump’s election victory in November 2024, expecting that they would be replaced.
However, this mass termination marks an unprecedented level of direct intervention in the DOJ’s operations.
The acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY)—one of the most powerful federal prosecutorial offices—who resigned last week after being asked by the DOJ to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
