Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin is facing furious backlash after suggesting in a social media post that federal prosecutors are representing President Donald Trump.
Newsweek reached out to Martin's office via email and the Department of Justice via online press contact form for comment on Monday.
Why It Matters
While U.S. attorneys are appointed by presidents and typically confirmed by the Senate, they represent the federal government in court rather than the president directly.
Martin, a Trump loyalist and the former chair of the Missouri Republican Party is a lawyer who represented January 6 defendants but has no experience as a federal prosecutor. He has faced criticism since being appointed by Trump on January 20 on an interim basis, which does not require confirmation by the Senate.
What To Know
As a Trump-appointed federal judge presiding over a lawsuit against the Trump administration refused to block a ban on the Associated Press accessing the White House and Air Force One on Monday, the following statement from Martin was shared by the U.S. Attorney DC account on X, formerly Twitter:
"As President Trumps' lawyers, we are proud to fight to protect his leadership as our President and we are vigilant in standing against entities like the AP that
refuse to put America first."
The post was quickly criticized by Democratic lawmakers and others who pointed out that Martin and his office were not directly serving Trump.
A community-submitted X context note listed the official duties of U.S. attorneys from Cornell Law School, which cited U.S. Code that does not mention the officials representing the president.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, responding to Martin's statement on X: "This is insane. If you wonder why some of us think the rule of law is about to fall, it's this. The U.S. Attorney for DC is not 'President Trump's lawyer' and its job is not to 'protect his leadership' nor prosecute people who 'refuse to put America first.'"
Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, on X: "U.S. Attorneys are not the President's lawyers. They are the United States' lawyers. You didn't pledge an oath to a President, you pledged it to the constitution. This statement alone is reason enough for you to resign."
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California, on X: "The Justice Department is not the president's personal law firm. You are not his lawyers. The free press should be exactly that — free. If the facts they report don't align with the president's propaganda, tough. And this statement is a disgrace to the DOJ and the rule of law."
Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, on X: "A few notes: 1. U.S. Attorneys are not the president's lawyers. 2. You have a typo within the first three words of this statement. 3. Seriously?"
Conservative lawyer and former Department of Justice official Gregg Nunziata, on X: "A complete demonstration of unfitness in a single tweet. Appalling."
What Happens Next
Martin can lead the D.C. office for 120 days as an interim U.S. attorney. However, he could be reappointed for an additional 120-day term until the position is officially filled with a Senate-confirmed Trump appointee.
A final ruling is yet to be made on the Associated Press lawsuit against the Trump administration, which centers on the press organization being banned from access after continuing to refer to the "Gulf of Mexico" following Trump's name change to the "Gulf of America."
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