Published by TrenBuzz.com | July 16, 2026 | BREAKING LEGAL NEWS
Key Points at a Glance – Trump Fired Roger Rogoff
- At 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, federal judges in the Western District of Washington swore in former King County Superior Court judge and federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff as their pick for US attorney. Fifty-four minutes later, President Donald Trump fired him.
- Rogoff, a former King County Superior Court judge and longtime federal prosecutor, was appointed by federal judges due to a vacancy left unfilled for nearly three years. The appointment was made under Section 546(d), which allows district court judges to appoint a US attorney when the position remains vacant.
- The White House defended the move by arguing that the president has the authority to remove a court-appointed US attorney, while Rogoff said he is considering legal action.
- The firing is not isolated. The Trump administration has removed other court-appointed US attorneys in recent months, including Donald Kinsella, who was appointed by federal judges in the Northern District of New York in February 2026, sworn in the same day, and fired by the White House within hours.
- Rogoff’s dismissal has drawn criticism from Sen. Patty Murray, and legal challenges to the firing are possible.
- Rogoff arrived at the office this morning and was promptly informed that the Trump administration has terminated him, according to a source.
Roger Rogoff Trump Dismissal: What the 54-Minute Timeline Reveals
A rare constitutional dispute unfolded in Washington state after President Donald Trump removed newly appointed US Attorney Roger Rogoff less than an hour after he took the oath of office. The dismissal came on Wednesday shortly after federal judges in the Western District of Washington appointed Rogoff under a federal law that allows courts to fill the position when it remains vacant without Senate confirmation.
The 54-minute window between oath and firing is not accidental. The administration’s message was intentional and swift: the moment a judge-appointed prosecutor walked into the building, he was walked back out. This is not bureaucratic oversight. It is policy enforcement in real time.
The Constitutional Battle That Is Now Coming
Rogoff told Reuters he is considering pursuing legal action after his firing. “To me, the rule of law is everything for the way these things work,” he said, adding that he has retained lawyers and is weighing options. The Spokesman-Review reported that Rogoff told The Seattle Times he is preparing to sue Trump and the Justice Department to regain the position.
The administration argues that although federal judges may appoint a temporary US attorney under certain circumstances, the president retains the constitutional authority to remove that individual from office.
Todd Blanche’s Defense and What It Actually Means
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly stated “District court judges can appoint a temporary US Attorney, and POTUS can fire them. WDWA judges abandoned the time-honoured process of consultation with the administration so that the selected US Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration. Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President.”
Washington Senator Patty Murray criticized the firing, describing Rogoff as “eminently qualified” and condemning the administration’s approach, saying the president wants to “install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda.”
The Western District of Washington has now been without a Senate-confirmed US attorney for three years. The 54-minute tenure of Roger Rogoff made that vacancy even harder to fill, and the constitutional question of who actually gets to appoint federal prosecutors is now headed to federal court.