Trump fires court-appointed U.S. attorney in Seattle less than an hour after judges unanimously installed him

On July 15, 2026, less than an hour after Roger Rogoff was unanimously appointed by federal judges as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, President Donald Trump fired him. Rogoff, a former judge and veteran prosecutor, was sworn in before 8 a.m. and received an email notifying him of his removal while waiting to meet with the previous acting U.S. Attorney. The firing, announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration clashing with the judiciary over U.S. attorney appointments, using personnel maneuvers to bypass Senate confirmation and keep loyalists in place. The administration had previously kept Trump appointee Charles Neil Floyd in the role after his interim term expired by shifting his title. Rogoff is considering legal action over his firing.