Tensions and deadlocks over Trump’s US attorney picks hit fever pitch

A power struggle between President Donald Trump’s Justice Department and the federal judiciary that has built up for months hit a fever pitch in courtrooms across the country last week.

What began as a dispute over a handful of interim prosecutors is now feeding into a broader separation-of-powers clash that seems destined for Supreme Court review, with the central question being whether the president can effectively control who leads U.S. attorney offices when Senate confirmations stall.

FILE – Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The high-stakes dispute is not likely to be resolved by higher court review for months. However, of the 93 U.S. attorney offices, 62 are now being run by interim or acting prosecutors who have not been confirmed by the Senate, leaving much of the federal prosecutorial apparatus under