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Notes -
So United States attorneys work for the Executive Branch and are supposed to be selected by the AG.
Clause (d) looks like it's just there to let courts do something to keep the district courts functioning in the case of political paralysis.
If the legislature actually wanted to strip the executive of its ability to make temporary appointments then they would have at least used "shall appoint a United States attorney" instead of "may".
Also this text has existed since at least 1986 and Lindsey Halligan is the first one a court has attempted to remove. I'm fairly sure it's not the first time there's been a second temporary appointment.
Combine that with the fact that the Eastern Virginia legal establishment strongly wants to stop these prosecutions and I think it's likely that this judge is purposefully misinterpreting the law.
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