Attorney General Bill Barr will resign and it goes into effect on December 23, 2020, as announced by President Donald Trump. The head of the Justice Department’s resignation was somewhat anticipated by many, but the exact date was never clear, nor was there a guarantee of his departure.
This happened on the same day when President Donald Trump lost the electoral votes needed to remain president into 2024, and Joe Biden secured his victory as President-elect, with the Electoral College including votes from Bill and Hillary Clinton in New York.
Social media users who favor President Trump have often accused Barr of being fairly absent over the last two months, often calling for his resignation on various platforms.
Trump shared Barr’s letter of resignation on Twitter in which Barr said he was “proud to have played a role in the many successes and unprecedented achievements you have delivered for the American people.”
The soon-to-be former head of the Justice Department also stated some admiration for the president, even though Trump has recently criticized him.
Barr stated about Trump, “your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless, implacable resistance,” Barr’s letter reads. “Few could have weathered these attacks, much less forge ahead with a positive program for the country.”
Trump’s message on Twitter stated the following:
Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family…..Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all!
The president also included a screenshot of Barr’s resignation letter.
Barr will be replaced by Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, as acting attorney General. Rosen’s position will be filled by Richard Donoghue, who is a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, according to CNBC.
The following images are a copy of Bill Barr’s resignation letter.
Photo Office of Public Affairs from Washington DC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons