Jeff Sessions resigned as President Donald Trump’s attorney general on Wednesday at Trump’s request. The news comes the day after the 2018 midterm elections, which set a record for voter turnout.
Trump, who has been sparring with Sessions for months, tweeted the news that Sessions’ chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will become the nation’s new acting AG.
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
Others took to social media to share their reactions, including Democrat and Republican leaders coming off an intense midterm election season.
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who will likely serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee now that Democrats have reclaimed the House, tweeted that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation must continue under Whitaker, and that the independence of the Department of Justice must not be compromised.
President Trump just removed Jeff Sessions. He wants an Attorney General to serve his interest, not the public.
Mueller's investigation and the independence of the DOJ must be protected. Whitaker and any nominee must commit to doing both.
We will protect the rule of law.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 7, 2018
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat representing Minnesota who held onto the seat she’s held since 2006 in yesterday’s election, also tweeted her concerns that the Sessions resignation, just a day after the midterms, makes the special counsel investigation more important than ever.
Now that the President has made Jeff Sessions resign, it is more important than ever that the Special Counsel investigation continue. This happened the day after the mid-terms for one reason—he didn’t want the American people to hold him accountable. No one is above the law.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) November 7, 2018
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing Connecticut, took issue with the language around Sessions’ resignation, noting the embattled AG was fired by his boss and did not leave voluntarily.
Jeff Sessions did not resign. He was fired.
Jeff Sessions did not resign. He was fired.
Jeff Sessions did not resign. He was fired.
Say it with me.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 7, 2018
Some Republican leaders simply thanked Sessions for his service and leadership. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who made headlines in September for her expected vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, noted Sessions’ integrity and service. But then in a follow-up tweet posted the same minute, Collins said it was “imperative that the Administration not impede the Mueller investigation.”
It is imperative that the Administration not impede the Mueller investigation. I’m concerned Rod Rosenstein will no longer be overseeing the probe. Special Counsel Mueller must be allowed to complete his work without interference—regardless of who is AG.
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) November 7, 2018
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican representing South Carolina, vowed to help President Trump find a worthy successor for Sessions. It’s also worth noting that Graham himself has been rumored to be a possible replacement for Sessions.
Jeff Sessions served our nation well and honorably as Attorney General.
He has dedicated his whole life to conservatism and upholding the Rule of Law. (1/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 7, 2018
And newly elected Utah Senator, Republican Mitt Romney, added that indeed, the Mueller investigation should continue unimpeded.
I want to thank Jeff Sessions for his service to our country as Attorney General. Under Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, it is imperative that the important work of the Justice Department continues, and that the Mueller investigation proceeds to its conclusion unimpeded.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2018
