Jeff Sessions announced his resignation from attorney general in a letter to President Trump on Wednesday.
Sessions began the letter by noting that he is resigning “at your request.”
“In my time as Attorney General we have restored and upheld the rule of law–a glorious tradition that each of us has a responsibility to safeguard,” Sessions wrote. “We have operated with integrity and have lawfully and aggressively advanced the policy agenda of this administration.”
"At your request, I am submitting my resignation."
Read AG Sessions' letter to President Trump. https://t.co/Axo9PTuvJ1 pic.twitter.com/csVLbspgaA
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018
Trump tweeted that Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, would take over as interim attorney general until Trump nominates a permanent replacement:
We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
….We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
Trump had previously been critical of Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
