President Donald Trump fired newly appointed U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff for the Western District of Washington less than an hour after federal judges unanimously appointed him on July 15, 2026, setting the stage for a potential legal battle over executive power and judicial authority.
Rogoff, a veteran prosecutor and former state judge with 20 years in state prosecution and six years in federal prosecution, was sworn in before 8 a.m. at the U.S. courthouse in Seattle. Within 54 minutes, the Trump administration terminated him via email while he waited in a lobby, according to reporting from multiple outlets.
The dismissal marks the latest flashpoint in an escalating conflict between Trump’s Justice Department and federal judges over control of U.S. attorney appointments. Unlike in similar Trump administration firings, Rogoff has retained the national law firm HKM and is consulting on legal options. “We’re considering all of our legal options,” Rogoff told Bloomberg Law. He told the Associated Press he was “pretty certain” he’d be immediately fired since the court had informed the Trump administration two weeks prior of his appointment.
This is not the first time Trump has fired a court-appointed prosecutor. In February 2026, the Trump administration fired Donald Kinsella, a veteran litigator appointed by federal judges in upstate New York’s Northern District, just hours after his swearing-in. That firing sparked a legal dispute over whether the president has constitutional authority to remove judicially appointed U.S. attorneys or whether judges retain exclusive power to make such selections when no Senate-confirmed replacement is available.
The Trump administration argues the president has broad constitutional authority to choose federal prosecutors. Fox News reported in February 2026 that a constitutional expert stated “Article II leaves no doubt” that Trump has this power. However, federal courts have previously ruled against Trump’s picks in other districts. In December 2025, an appeals court found that Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney, was serving unlawfully as U.S. attorney for New Jersey after judges declined to appoint her and instead selected their own candidate.
The Western District of Washington’s 17 federal judges had been seeking to replace Neil Floyd, Trump’s earlier appointee, after courts determined his installation was improper. Rogoff’s appointment represented the judges’ effort to install their own choice. The Trump administration’s immediate termination of Rogoff sets up what Bloomberg Law described as “potentially the first legal battle” over whether a president can fire a prosecutor selected and sworn in by judges.
Sources
- Reuters — Rogoff’s background as federal and state prosecutor; his statement about considering legal action
- Bloomberg Law News — Rogoff’s quote on considering legal options; description of the situation as setting up a potential legal battle
- The New York Times — Rogoff retaining employment law firm; timing of dismissal via email
- NBC News — Rogoff’s prosecutorial experience (20 years state, 6 years federal); precedent with Kinsella firing in February 2026
- The Seattle Times — Trump administration’s firing of other court-appointed U.S. attorneys; background on the district’s judicial process
- Fox News — Constitutional argument that president has authority to fire U.S. attorneys
- PBS — Habba disqualification and appeals court ruling on unlawful service
- The New York Times (March 9, 2026) — Pattern of Trump administration firing judge-appointed prosecutors
