Trent McCotter
Trent McCotter | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2026 | |
| Acting United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| Assumed office August 10, 2026 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Attorney General | Todd Blanche |
| Preceded by | Todd Blanche |
| Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General | |
| Assumed office April 9, 2026 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Emil Bove |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Trent McCotter March 1987 (age 39) |
| Education | University of North Carolina (BA, JD) |
Richard Trent McCotter (born March 1987) is an American lawyer who has served as the acting United States deputy attorney general since 2026. McCotter has also served as the principal associate deputy attorney general since 2026.
Early life and education (1987–2011)
Richard Trent McCotter[1] was born in March 1987.[2] McCotter attended West Forsyth High School.[3] He corrected Babe Ruth's 1926 run batted in average;[4] by 2007, he had become a member of the Society for American Baseball Research's records committee.[5] McCotter graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He clerked for judges Steven Menashi of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and R. Lanier Anderson III of the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.[6]
Career
Early work (2012–2022)
McCotter worked in Jenner & Block's Supreme Court and appellate practice group. In 2017, he became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.[6] McCotter was involved in the prosecution of Edward Snowden.[7] In the final months of president Donald Trump's first term, he served as a deputy associate attorney general in the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.[8]
Boyden Gray (2021–2026)
In 2021, McCotter joined the lawyer C. Boyden Gray's firm, Boyden Gray & Associates.[6] In March 2022, he represented several federal employees who sued the Biden administration over its requirement for federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.[9] By May 2023, McCotter had become a partner at Boyden Gray. Prior to his death that month, Gray worked with McCotter to restructure the firm.[10] McCotter argued before the Supreme Court in FCC v. Consumers' Research (2025), a case involving the constitutionality of the Universal Service Fund.[6] He filed a petition on behalf of Ed Blum's companies seeking for the Securities and Exchange Commission to restrict proxy advisory firms from considering gender, race, or ethnicity in their guidance to investors.[8]
Principal associate deputy attorney general (2026–present)
On April 9, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appointed McCotter as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.[11] According to The Wall Street Journal, Boris Epshteyn helped secure McCotter's position.[12] According to The New York Times, McCotter was a key individual in negotiations in the attempted settlement of Trump v. Internal Revenue Service. McCotter urged the Department to establish the Anti-Weaponization Fund, a program to compensate victims of apparent prosecutorial overreach. He coordinated with Trump's personal lawyers and proposed setting the sum at US$1.776 billion, referencing the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed.[13]
References
- ↑ "Introducing North Carolina's newest lawyers". North Carolina Lawyers. September 9, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Richard Trent McCotter in the U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019" (Document). Index to Public Records.
- ↑ "Milestones". Winston-Salem Journal. June 23, 2003. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Schwarz, Alan (July 31, 2005). "Numbers Are Cast in Bronze, but Are Not Set in Stone". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Kepner, Tyler (April 20, 2007). "A-Rod's Historic Start". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Robinson, Kimberly (March 26, 2025). "Eight Years Later, Advocate Gets Another Chance at Supreme Court". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ↑ Buchman, Brandi (September 17, 2019). "Feds Sue NSA Whistleblower Snowden Over Book Disclosures". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- 1 2 Penn, Ben (April 9, 2026). "Blanche Fills DOJ Leadership Position in First Post-Bondi Move". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ↑ Niedzwiadek, Nick (March 8, 2022). "Biden administration makes case to save vaccination mandate for federal employees". Politico. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Daniels, Eugene; Lizza, Ryan; Bade, Rachael (July 31, 2023). "Three big questions about the battle for the Senate". Politico. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Acting AG Todd Blanche sends series of memos to staff marking his first official day".
- ↑ Palazzolo, Joe; Ballhaus, Rebecca; Barber, C. Ryan; Dawsey, Josh; Michaels, Dave (June 15, 2026). "Trump's Personal Lawyer Was Said to Be Part of a Billionaire's Criminal Defense". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ Feuer, Alan; Duehren, Andrew; Thrush, Glenn; Protess, Ben; Haberman, Maggie (May 30, 2026). "Inside the Deal to Drop Trump's $10 Billion Suit Against the I.R.S." The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2026.