Donald Trump-appointed Judge Joshua Kindred of the Alaska District Court notified the court of his resignation on July 3, according to a statement available on the U.S. Courts website.

The position of U.S. District Judge for Alaska appears on a list of future judicial vacancies on the website, and says the position will be vacant starting Monday, July 8, when the resignation takes effect. In the entire list, which currently totals 27 positions, Kindred's position is the only one that has become vacant due to a resignation; all other judges have either been promoted, retired or taken senior status – a type of early retirement.

It is highly unusual for a federal judge to resign because his appointment is for life. Kindred was born in 1977 and was confirmed by the Senate in February 2020, so he is not entitled to continue receiving his salary for the rest of his life, as would have been the case had he served longer.

Newsweek Judge Kindred contacted legal assistants and the U.S. District Court for Alaska by phone early Friday outside of normal business hours for comment and was unable to reach them. The U.S. courts were contacted by email.

Like any other public official, judges can voluntarily resign for personal reasons, health issues or career changes. The reason for Kindred's resignation is unclear, and this story will be updated when comment is received.

Kindred's short tenure as a judge has sparked questions and speculation on social media. Many are wondering why the judge resigned. Some social media users suspect it could be a financial decision. “Low pay for hard work compared to a private judge,” one X user speculated on the social media platform.

Other social media users speculated that the reason was more privacy. “Could be something personal, but this was a red flag for a 'scandal,'” wrote another.

The Alaska landminewhich describes itself as a local, nonpartisan news outlet, referred to “rumors” about a “Kindred scandal.”

“For a year now, there have been rumors about a scandal involving Kindred. A federal judge can only be removed through impeachment unless he resigns,” the news portal wrote on X on Friday, without specifying which “scandal” it was referring to.

A later post said Kindred's resignation letter consisted of “only two sentences.”

But that is pure speculation: The reason why Kindred offered to resign less than five years after Trump nominated him to the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Beistline is currently unknown.