President Trump announced the resignation of beleaguered Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday afternoon, setting off a torrent of speculation about who his replacement might be.
The president made the announcement on Twitter (of course):
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
He thanked Sessions for his service and wished him well:
….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
Sessions did not give a reason for his resignation but said that he had been “honored” to serve as attorney general. He thanked Trump for appointing him to the position.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' resignation letter. pic.twitter.com/CZmWAaeQr9
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 7, 2018
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is reportedly on his way to the White House. Is Trump planning to fire him as well? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s possible that Trump intends to do a thorough housecleaning.
As far as Sessions’ replacement is concerned, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s name is likely in the mix:
Trump fires Sessions.
Up next:
Trump appoints Giuliani.
Giuliani orders Rosenstein to end special counsel investigation.
Rosenstein refuses and gets fired.
Giuliani appoints Nunes deputy attorney general.
Nunes fires Mueller, ends special counsel investigation.
—30—
— Todd Pruzan (@toddpruzan) November 7, 2018
It is about time….Giuliani batter up.https://t.co/s8mf7XkiyA https://t.co/s8mf7XkiyA
— DJ Levitan (@floridagroup1) November 7, 2018
…as is the name of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who lost his bid to become his state’s next governor on Tuesday.
Ann Coulter came out quickly saying she’d like to see Kobach as the nation’s next AG — and wants Sessions moved to the Department of Homeland Security.
GREAT IDEA! Kobach as AG and move AG Sessions to Homeland Security! https://t.co/i9Xz77FsOd
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) November 7, 2018
Kobach, who headed up Trump’s voter fraud commission, has been a favorite of the president, but that may have changed last night when Kobach lost his race — Trump has famously said he doesn’t like losers.
Others names that could be in the mix are Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Frequent Fox News guest and former U.S. Attorney Joe DiGenova could also be competing for the job as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham, who raised his profile amongst Trump supporters with a stellar performance during the Kavanaugh hearings and his recent media appearances.
Or might Trump choose outgoing Congressman Trey Gowdy?
Hard to say at this point. I like Trey but not convinced just yet. Everyone thought Sessions would do well. Look how that turned out. It is imperative that POTUS get it right this time. I myself would love to see Rudy Giuliani in that position🤔
— WarParty (@KKSlipoftheLip) November 7, 2018
It’s possible Trump may have someone in mind, but we may also see a parade of candidates heading to the White House over the next few days to make their case for the job.
One thing we know for sure: Whoever gets the job will step into the firestorm of the Mueller investigation in the context of a major power shift in the House. Democratic leaders no doubt feel emboldened in the wake of last night’s victories and have signaled their intention to go after Trump on a number of issues.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone would even want the job of attorney general, fraught as the position always is with controversy, but there are sure to be a number of eager candidates hoping to be Trump’s choice.
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