By Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed the Justice Department to terminate all remaining Biden-era U.S. attorneys, asserting that the department had been “politicized like never before.”
“We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, the White House sent termination notices to several U.S. Attorneys around the country who had been appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden.
On Monday, several U.S. attorneys appointed by Biden announced they were stepping down. Others left the government last week.
While it is customary for U.S. Attorneys to step down after a change in the presidential administration, usually the incoming administration asks for their resignations and does not issue tersely worded termination letters, current and former Justice Department lawyers say.
The termination of the U.S. attorneys, who serve as the top federal law enforcement officers in their districts, is the latest in shake-ups at the Justice Department since Trump took office last month.
Career Justice Department officials normally remain in office from one administration to the next. Yet dozens in cities including Washington and New York have been fired or quit since Trump took office.
Trump campaigned on a vow to end the “weaponization” at the Justice Department that he says was used against him during his years out of power.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward, additional reporting by Nate Raymong, editing by Michelle Nichols and David Gregorio)
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