Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche reacts during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 30, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
President Donald Trump's White House fired a federal prosecutor on Wednesday just five hours after he was sworn in by a federal judge.
Donald T. Kinsella, 78, was appointed by a panel of judges to serve as an interim U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York, which happened the day after the term of Trump's current U.S. Attorney, John A. Sarcone III, expired. Kinsella, a Republican, was sworn in during a virtual ceremony by Chief Judge Brenda K. Sannes, The Times Union reported.
Kinsella has more than 50 years of experience as a prosecutor, including as an assistant U.S. attorney in Albany and a lawyer for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, the outlet reported.
Even so, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post on X that Kinsella was "fired" because Trump had not appointed him.
"Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella," Blanche posted.
It is unclear whether Kinsella's firing will be challenged in court. LawFare's Senior Editor Anna Brewer reported that the announcement of Kinsella's appointment was still live on the court's website at the time Blanche "fired" him.