President Donald Trump released a statement late Tuesday announcing he would fire all “Biden-era” attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Trump’s move is the latest in his effort to clean house, particularly at agencies that have fallen out of favor, from USAID to the DOJ.
“Over the past four years, the Department of Justice has been politicized like never before,” Trump said in a statement. “Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining ‘Biden Era’ U.S. Attorneys. We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY!”
President Joe Biden fired nearly all Trump-appointed attorneys to resign when he took office in 2021. With Trump’s decision to follow suit, the round of firings, once considered controversial, may be a feature and blunt tradition of a new administration in Washington.
Media reports last week indicated that nearly two dozen U.S. attorneys appointed by President Joe Biden had their devices deactivated, even though they had not been fired. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also fired U.S. attorneys upon taking office.
Earlier this month, Trump fired 20 immigration judges Biden tried to put in place just before leaving office. Biden also fired Trump-picked immigration judges when he took office.
Trump’s comments about politicization come after the DOJ handled the prosecution of Trump himself as well as the prosecutions of the Jan. 6 protesters who stormed the Capitol building.
Other reports suggested the DOJ gave special treatment to Hunter Biden, the former president’s son, as he faced a prosecution of his own.
While the DOJ chose to prosecute Trump for his handling of classified documents after leaving office, Biden and Vice President Mike Pence did not face prosecution, even though they both held on to classified documents after leaving office.
