Can the President fire the US Attorney General?
Asked by: Nicholaus Goldner III | Last update: June 13, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (38 votes)
The new President may elect to keep or remove any U.S. attorney. They are traditionally replaced, collectively, only at the start of a new White House administration.
Who is above the US Attorney General?
The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet.
Who can remove a state Attorney General?
Regarding removal, the process also varies by state. Some states have provisions for removing an attorney general from office through impeachment or resignation, while others simply allow the governor to remove them at will. Again, the specific process depends on the individual state's laws.
Can a president fire a Cabinet member?
The president can dismiss them from office at any time without the approval of the Senate or downgrade their Cabinet membership status. The vice president of the United States is elected, not appointed, and serves in the Cabinet by statute.
What power does the President have over the Cabinet?
The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet.
President Trump fires over a dozen Inspectors General
Can the President eliminate Cabinet departments?
It permits the president to divide, consolidate, abolish, or create agencies of the U.S. federal government by presidential directive, subject to limited legislative oversight. First granted in 1932, presidential reorganization authority has been extended to nine presidents on 16 separate occasions.
Can a president fire his vice president?
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove the vice president of the United States from office in two separate proceedings. The first one takes place in the House of Representatives, which impeaches the vice president by approving articles of impeachment through a simple majority vote.
Who can the President not remove from office?
The holding in Myers boils down to the proposition that the Constitution endows the President with an illimitable power to remove all officers in whose appointment he has participated, with the exception of federal judges.
Can a Supreme Court justice be removed by the President?
Article III states that these judges “hold their office during good behavior,” which means they have a lifetime appointment, except under very limited circumstances. Article III judges can be removed from office only through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.
Is the president the boss of the attorney general?
The attorney general is the lawyer appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Justice, known as the DOJ.
Who is higher than the FBI?
Within the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is responsible to the attorney general, and it reports its findings to U.S. Attorneys across the country. The FBI's intelligence activities are overseen by the Director of National Intelligence.
Who is more powerful US attorney or Attorney General?
United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America.
Who is the attorney general under Biden?
President-elect Joe Biden selected Garland for the position of United States attorney general, with news of the selection coming on January 6, 2021. He was formally nominated by Biden on January 20, after Biden took office.
How much does the US Attorney General make a year?
How much does a Attorney General make? The average Attorney General in the US makes $115,045. Attorney Generals make the most in San Jose, CA at $227,143 averaging total compensation 97% greater than US average.
Does the attorney general have power over the FBI?
The FBI's mandate is established in Title 28 of the United States Code (U.S. Code), Section 533, which authorizes the Attorney General to "appoint officials to detect and prosecute crimes against the United States". Other federal statutes give the FBI the authority and responsibility to investigate specific crimes.
Who cannot be impeached?
Assuming this line of cases serves as a guide in deciding who is a civil officer subject to impeachment, it appears that employees, as non-officers, are not subject to impeachment, while principal officers, such as the head of a cabinet-level Executive department, are.
Who can declare the President unable to fulfill presidential duties?
In the complex and unique scenario where a president is considered to be unable to do their job but does not want to step down, Section 4 authorizes the vice president and a majority of the president's cabinet or Congress to decide if the president is unable to perform their duties.
Can a president override the Supreme Court?
When the Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgment is virtually final; its decisions can be altered only by the rarely used procedure of constitutional amendment or by a new ruling of the Court.
Has the 25th Amendment ever been used?
The Twenty-fifth Amendment has been invoked (used) six times since it was added to the Constitution. Section 1 has been used once; Section 2 has been used twice; and Section 3 has been used three times. Only Section 4 has never been used, though it was considered twice.
Can the president fire military officers?
(b) The President or the Secretary of Defense, or in the case of a commissioned officer of the Coast Guard, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating in the Navy, may drop from the rolls of any armed force any commissioned officer (1) who has been absent without ...
Who can fire a governor?
A state legislature can impeach its governor and other state officials. Many local governments also have impeachment procedures.
Which executive department has the largest staff?
Federal offices with the most personnel in 2023 were all military programs under the Defense Department (775,100 people), the Department of Veterans Affairs (433,700), and the Department of Homeland Security (212,000).
What can't the President do?
- make laws.
- declare war.
- decide how federal money will be spent.
- interpret laws.
- choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.