In a sweeping move that underscores the US President Donald Trump administration‘s efforts to reshape federal law enforcement, acting attorney general James McHenry on Monday fired more than a dozen prosecutors who had worked on the two criminal investigations into Trump for special counsel Jack Smith. According to a justice department spokesperson, the decision was based on concerns that the prosecutors could not be trusted to “faithfully implement” the president’s agenda.
“Acting attorney general James McHenry made this decision because he did not believe these officials could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president,” a justice department official said.
While the department declined to name the prosecutors involved, sources familiar with the situation revealed that many of the dismissals targeted career lawyers who were protected under civil service laws. A person who had worked alongside members of Smith’s team described the firings as likely violating these protections, raising questions about the legality of the administration’s actions.
Trump had vowed before election to fire Smith ‘on day one’
The firings, though abrupt, were not entirely unexpected. Trump had long vowed to remove Smith and his team, citing personal grievances over their investigations into his actions. While Smith and several of his top prosecutors resigned before Trump’s inauguration, others had returned to their original posts, including roles within the US attorney’s office in Washington.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten control over the justice department and centralise decision-making within the White House. Last week, Trump’s team initiated a series of personnel changes that saw the reassignment of Bradley Weinsheimer, the associate deputy attorney general and one of the department’s most senior career officials, to a less influential position.
Weinsheimer, a respected figure in the justice department with extensive experience in managing sensitive cases, is just one of several seasoned officials affected by the administration’s overhaul. Key supervisors with expertise in national security, international investigations, extraditions, and public corruption have also been reassigned, with some choosing to resign in protest. On Monday, the chief of the public integrity section announced his resignation, further signalling discontent within the department.
The firings come as Trump doubles down on his promise to dismantle and reconstruct the justice department, a pledge he has repeatedly made in public statements. Legal experts warn that the administration’s actions could undermine the department’s independence and erode public confidence in the impartiality of federal law enforcement.
It remains unclear who will replace the ousted prosecutors and officials, but the move has already sparked intense scrutiny and debate over the future of the justice department under Trump’s leadership.