Donald Trump Appointed Judge Resigns in Alaska, Sparking Speculation

Judge Joshua Kindred of the Alaska federal district court, a Donald Trump appointee, notified the court of his resignation on July 3, data available on the United States Courts website shows.

The position of the U.S. District Court Judge for Alaska appears on a list of future judicial vacancies on the website, stating that the role will be up for grabs as of Monday, July 8, when the resignation takes effect. In the entire list, which currently includes a total of 27 vacancies, Kindred's role is the only one to fall vacant as a result of a resignation; all other judges have either been elevated, retired or are assuming senior status—a form of semi-retirement.

It is highly unusual for a federal judge to resign, as the appointment is for life. Kindred was born in 1977 and confirmed by the Senate in February 2020, so he does not qualify to continue to receive a salary for the remainder of his lifetime as he would have if he had served longer.

Newsweek contacted Judge Kindred's judicial assistant and the U.S. District Court of Alaska for comment by phone early on Friday, outside of normal working hours, and could not reach them. The U.S. Courts were contacted by email.

Like any other public official, judges can voluntarily resign for reasons ranging from personal circumstances, health issues, and career changes, among others. There is no clarity on the reason for Kindred's resignation and this story will be updated when a comment is received.

Kindred's short tenure on the bench has sparked questions and speculations on social media, where many are wondering why the judge has resigned. Some social media users have assumed it might be a money-related choice. "Low pay for hard work compared to being a private judge," one X user speculated on the social media platform.

Other social media users have speculated the reason to be more private. "Could be something personal, but this raised the 'scandal' red flag," wrote another.

The Alaska Landmine, which describes itself as a local nonpartisan news outlet, referred to "rumors" about a "scandal involving Kindred."

"There's been rumors for the last year about a scandal involving Kindred. The only way a federal judge can be removed is by impeachment, unless they resign," the news outlet wrote on X on Friday, without specifying what "scandal" it was referring to.

In a later post, it added that the letter of resignation from Kindred was "only two sentences."

But this is only speculation: the reason Kindred offered his resignation less than five years after Trump nominated him to take the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Beistline is currently unknown.