Justice Department political officials are rushing to resign, fearing that their associations with a Trump agenda resoundingly rejected by voters could harm their careers, current and former Trump DOJ officials said.
President Donald Trump’s promotion of Stephen Miller to chief of staff fueled further disarray, prompting calls to private-sector contacts for job advice, some officials added.
The handful of officials spoke anonymously about sensitive deliberations that reflect a somber mood at department headquarters, where Attorney General Todd Blanche and his inner circle are bracing for deadly congressional oversight. Mid-level aides and senior leaders looking for exits are poised to accelerate what has already been a rapid exodus of four Senate-confirmed DOJ officials since Democrats dominated the midterm elections.
Motivations vary and some resignation plans predated the election, but there was a new wave of department politicians seeking professional help in the past week, current and former officials said.
“There are people who have realized that things have fundamentally changed in the country, and if that’s the direction the president wants to go, they’re not as aligned anymore — partly because that’s not the direction America is going and also because they have to work,” said a former Trump DOJ official, describing discussions with several current appointees.
In a statement, ministry spokesperson Kiersten Pels dismissed the reports as “clickbait” from an anonymous source. “The glaring truth is that the vast majority of policymakers in the department are proud to work here,” Pels added, citing a “record number of prosecutions” and a reduction in crime.
Blanche: “Nothing unusual”
At a news conference Monday, Blanche called the high-level departures consistent with previous post-midterm transitions. “There is nothing unusual about people leaving the Justice Department this week, next week or a few weeks ago,” he said.
The resignations of Justice Department Civil Division Chief Brett Shumate on Monday and Legislative Affairs Chief Patrick Davis last month were voluntary. But the administration has expelled others, including national security chief John Eisenberg, over dissatisfaction with their performance.
For those who remain, there is an apprehension about the future that is rooted in factors unique to Blanche’s tenure. DOJ political appointees were instrumental in reshaping the department’s mission to align with Trump’s personal desires.
As Republicans consider their party’s future after Trump, some DOJ lawyers fear their professional reputations and earning potential will suffer if they don’t distance themselves, current and former officials said.
A recent department head now working in the private sector said he received text messages from about five Justice Department appointees seeking career advice in recent days. Several other veterans of both Trump administrations have observed similar outreach.
Some of those department aides were already frustrated with following Miller’s dictates and are now alarmed that Trump has given him more power, several former officials said.
There are people who share Miller’s goals but are still inclined to walk away because they expect his demands on day-to-day operations will make the job more unpleasant, a former Trump DOJ official said.
Divided camps
Morale among Blanche’s aides and other Trump DOJ appointees is generally split into two camps, current and former officials said.
A group of largely younger, MAGA-aligned lawyers from conservative think tanks or Republican attorneys general’s offices are embracing the pivot to combat Democratic surveillance, they added. Some are also motivated to continue serving by ambition for promotion to interim leadership positions.
Still, some recognize their bar licenses could be at stake, depending on what they are ordered to do or what is disclosed at the Capitol, some officials said. At least a few are considering professional liability insurance — a long-standing protection enjoyed by many DOJ attorneys — a senior administration official said.
The second camp prone to departure includes conservatives and more traditional lawyers who aspire to return to large law firms or take on in-house roles within a company. Some were forced to look elsewhere because of the election results, while others were prompted by their bosses’ rapid resignations in recent days, some former and current officials said.
Higher risks
Other faction lawyers preparing to resign are aligned with the cause but are preparing to leave knowing their jobs will become miserable when Democrats control Congress, current and former officials said.
New House and Senate leaders are preparing to investigate department actions in which these political appointees were heavily involved. Trump’s DOJ aides are concerned about their future tenures as career employees, triggering whistleblower complaints to Democratic lawmakers, some of the former officials said.
“The absence of Senate-confirmed leadership along with the loss of many experienced career lawyers creates a very difficult environment, especially given the inevitable oversight conflicts,” said Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general during Trump’s first term. “It may not be possible to cope with the heavy workload and they will make mistakes. »
The DOJ’s current recruiting challenges could worsen. After the midterm exams, some recent hires rescinded their acceptances, according to a person familiar with the department’s internal dynamics.
American lawyers
In U.S. attorneys’ offices, leaders who are generally more insulated from Washington’s political swings are preparing to maintain their approach from Trump’s first two years.
The assistant attorney general’s office has not yet provided field offices with new execution memos, several people said. However, the DAG’s top associate, Aakash Singh, on Monday ordered all U.S. attorneys to prepare for a more intense period, two people briefed on the meeting said.
A current DOJ official said there remains concern that the administration is failing to learn lessons from the election and is looking more closely at Trump-led prosecutions of foes that have destabilized several U.S. attorneys’ offices since January 2025 and are now subject to congressional subpoenas.
“If I’m a U.S. attorney or if I’m in Washington, D.C., and I think I might be under investigation, my instinct is to stay away from that,” the official said. “Where will I find a job in two years if and when the political winds change? »
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