Author: Ryan W. Miller / Source: USA TODAY
President Trump took to Twitter to announce the appointment of an acting Attorney General, and then fired Jeff Sessions in the following tweet. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday after a year of intense scrutiny from the White House.
Sessions’ exit, a resignation forced by Trump, was expected for weeks amid Trump’s attacks over his attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Trump also named the attorney general’s chief of staff Matthew Whitaker to serve as interim attorney general.
Sessions’ departure came after a fiery Trump press conference one day after the midterm elections, in which Democrats took back the House. Here’s what we know now.
Why did Trump oust Sessions?
Even though Sessions was one of Trump’s earliest supporters, the president has been laser-focused on targeting Sessions, going as far as to appearing to completely disassociate Sessions with the administration.
More: Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions, names Matthew Whitaker as interim replacement
“I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad,” Trump said in an interview with Hill.TV in September. “I’m not happy at the border, I’m not happy with numerous things, not just this.”
Trump has attacked Sessions in interviews, tweets, and press conferences as “beleaguered” and often expressing “disappointment” in his attorney general.
What does it mean for the Russia investigation and Robert Mueller?
Sessions’ ouster immediately moves oversight of the ongoing investigation to interim successor Whitaker, who once called for the inquiry to be dramatically scaled back.
Sessions…
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