Three DOJ officials resign after midterm losses
The gist
Three senior Justice Department officials resigned after Democrats retook the House and Senate in the midterms.
The exits hit the department's push to prosecute Trump's perceived political foes.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Midterm elections delivered a bruising loss to the president's own party; Democrats retook control of the House and Senate.
- Nov 5, 2026Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon resigned after 18 months in charge, the first senior department official to depart since the elections.
- Nov 6, 2026Jason Reding Quiñones, US Attorney in Southern Florida, resigned under pressure from department leadership; Attorney General Todd Blanche announced it on social media.
Key terms
- DOJ
- Executive department of the U.S. federal government that enforces federal laws and administers justice.
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- US Attorney
- Chief federal law enforcement officer and prosecutor representing the U.S. government in one of the 94 federal judicial districts.
Source: Wikipedia