Ed Martin is leaving the Trump administration to take the fight over election integrity outside the federal government ahead of the 2026 midterms.
President Donald Trump announced Martin’s departure Friday, praising the longtime ally’s work in several key Justice Department roles.
“Ed Martin has been with me from the very beginning, and done an incredible job as an Attorney, Director of the Weaponization Working Group, and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Ed is now leaving to go outside to fight Legal Battles for the upcoming Midterm Election, and the Presidential Election of 2028. I know he will do an outstanding job, ensure Free, Fair, and Honest Elections, and strongly advance our Constitutional Rights. Good luck Ed!”
Martin plans to focus on legal fights surrounding the midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race after leaving the administration.
He served as acting U.S. attorney for Washington from January through May 2025 before taking over as the U.S. pardon attorney.
Trump sought to install Ed Martin permanently as the capital’s top federal prosecutor, but Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., opposed the nomination and effectively doomed his confirmation bid.
The president later tapped Jeanine Pirro for the post.
Martin’s exit comes one day after Trump announced that White House legislative affairs director James Braid will also leave the administration.
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Braid is expected to remain at the White House until September. His next move has not been announced.
The 35-year-old served as Trump’s chief liaison to Capitol Hill, helping push the president’s agenda through Congress despite razor-thin Republican majorities in both chambers.
Braid played a central role in shepherding Trump’s sweeping tax and spending package through Congress while also navigating a difficult slate of Cabinet confirmations and congressional fights over the administration’s foreign policy.
Before joining the White House, Braid worked as a top policy aide to then-Sen. JD Vance. He previously held senior positions with the House Freedom Caucus and Republican lawmakers including former Reps. Matt Rosendale of Montana, Ken Buck of Colorado and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, as well as former Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina, who now serves in the Senate.
Braid became the longest-serving legislative affairs director of Trump’s presidency before announcing his departure. Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson were among the top Republicans who credited him with helping deliver the president’s legislative victories.
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