Syracuse, New York - President Donald Trump's pick for the position of top prosecutor for the Northern District of New York has been fired by the White House mere hours after his appointment.

Donald T. Kinsella was appointed as US attorney for the district after Trump's initial choice, John A. Sarcone III, was found by a judge last month to have been serving in the position unlawfully.

Sarcone's position was ruled illegitimate because his interim status expired in July 2025 and his appointment was declined.

The Department of Justice then made him a "special attorney" in an attempt to circumvent rules, a move that has since been declared invalid.

He joined the ranks of Alina Habba in New Jersey and Lindsey Halligan in Virginia, who were also found to be serving unlawfully after the administration appointed them as US attorneys under unusual circumstances.

Appointed by federal judges to serve in Sarcone's stead, Kinsella only lasted a number of hours before the Trump White House fired him via email.

Speaking to the New York Times in a phone call on Wednesday evening, Kinsella said that he was unsure whether the email constituted a lawful order and confirmed that he will discuss the matter with district judges on Thursday.

The incident continues a long-running dispute over who has the authority to appoint US attorneys, a position that is typically confirmed by the Senate.

"Judges don't pick US Attorneys, [the President of the United States] does," raged Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a Wednesday post on X. "See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella."