Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made a shocking move late Wednesday night, firing the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York mere hours after a panel of federal judges had appointed him to the post. His action really showcases the ongoing battle between the executive branch and the courts over who gets to staff these crucial U.S. Attorney positions.
The Trump administration has been actively trying to install favored prosecutors while circumventing both the Senate and the judicial system, and this latest maneuver is perhaps the most dramatic yet. The judges in New York had selected longtime lawyer Donald Kinsella to serve as the new U.S. attorney. They were using their established, long-held constitutional power to appoint top prosecutors whenever an interim U.S. attorney’s term comes to an end.
It seems like a straightforward process, but President Trump’s administration clearly disagreed with the outcome. According to Politico, Blanche wasted no time in making the administration’s intention known. He took to X to announce the immediate sacking of Kinsella, channeling Trump’s past catchphrase. Blanche wrote, “Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella.”
Blanche is ready for his moment on the big screen
The Department of Justice hasn’t yet commented on the personnel changes in New York, but this move solidifies the administration’s strategy of pushing back hard against judicial appointments. The reason Kinsella was appointed in the first place is central to this conflict. He was named to replace John Sarcone III, a known Trump loyalist, who was disqualified by a judge back in January.
The Trump administration had used a procedural trick to try to keep Sarcone in the job past his 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney. What’s truly interesting about Sarcone is that he reportedly had no prosecutorial experience when he was selected for the post. Even more controversially, he was leading an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, a known political opponent of Trump.
The court was clearly concerned about potential political targeting. When Judge Lorna Schofield, an Obama appointee, disqualified Sarcone, she stated, “When the Executive branch of government skirts restraints put in place by Congress and then uses that power to subject political adversaries to criminal investigations, it acts without lawful authority.” She also quashed two subpoenas that had been issued to James and signed by Sarcone.
The situation in New York isn’t isolated either; it’s part of a broader pattern across the nation. If the administration continues to use procedural maneuvers only to have their appointees immediately fired, you can expect the courts to continue pushing back just as forcefully. In the meantime, Blanche keeps building up his repertoire to be Trump’s fan club president, from passionately supporting him to botching statements about the release of the Epstein files.
Published: Feb 13, 2026 12:59 pm