FBI fires, unfires, then refires agents linked to Jack Smith probe

The firings focus on personnel with connections to former special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of Trump and an earlier FBI investigation known as "Arctic Frost."

WASHINGTON — At least two FBI agents involved in past investigations into President Donald Trump were told Monday that they had been fired, only to learn later in the day that those terminations had been reversed or put on hold, according to six people familiar with the decisions.

Then on Tuesday morning, the two agents learned they had indeed been fired, along with two other employees, according to three of the people familiar with the decisions.

The chaotic process highlights the turmoil and uncertainty across federal law enforcement amid overhauls at the Justice Department and FBI that have targeted those who helped secure indictments against Trump or are viewed by the president as aligned with his political enemies.

The targeted FBI agents were tied to either special counsel Jack Smith’s probe or the initial investigation into Trump that began in 2022 and that the FBI dubbed “Arctic Frost.”

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia did not respond to a request comment.