Barr will resign a month before Trump leaves office

Attorney General William Barr submitted his resignation Monday, indicating he'll leave the White House on Dec. 23, President Trump announced in a tweet.

Trump said Barr was leaving to spend the holidays with his family, though the loyalist had reportedly fallen out of favor with Trump after affirming there was no significant fraud in the 2020 election. Still, Barr's resignation letter was nothing but flattering to Trump, complimenting how he delivered "unprecedented achievements ... in the face of relentless, implacable resistance."

Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will become acting attorney general, Trump said. It was reported last week that Barr would resign before President-elect Joe Biden was sworn in, and had been discussing an early departure since Biden's win.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up