*By Kristen Lee*
Attorney General Jeff Sessions abruptly resigned at President Trump's request on Wednesday, ending a tenure marked by a series of public humiliations inflicted by the man who elevated him into the nation's highest law-enforcement position.
After enjoying Sessions' early support on the campaign trail, Trump turned against his AG in March 2017 after he recused himself from a probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Since Sessions stepped aside, Trump has frequently railed against his attorney general in public.
"I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad," Trump said during a scathing interview with Hill.TV in September. The president previously said he would not have named Sessions to head the Justice Department had he known the AG would recuse himself from the Russia probe.
Sessions' job security has long been in question. At a post-election press conference earlier on Wednesday, Trump had declined to answer a question about Sessions' future in his administration.
“I’d rather answer that at a little bit different time," Trump had said.
In a tweet on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will step in as acting attorney general.
"We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be named at a later date," Trump said.
In a formal letter to Trump, Sessions noted that he was submitting his resignation at the president's request. He said he was proud that he and Trump "restored and upheld the rule of law" during his time in office.
American businesses that rely on Chinese goods are reacting with muted relief after the U.S. and China agreed to pause their exorbitant tariffs on each other’s products for 90 days. Many companies delayed or canceled orders after President Donald Trump last month put a 145% tariff on items made in China. Importers still face relatively high tariffs, however, as well as uncertainty over what will happen in the coming weeks and months. The temporary truce was announced as retailers and their suppliers are looking to finalize their plans and orders for the holiday shopping season. They’re concerned a mad scramble to get goods onto ships will lead to bottlenecks and increased shipping costs.
The Trump administration announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom Thursday in grandiose terms, but with only limited details about what it achieves.
Why not tax the millionaires? That question won't seem to go away as Congress begins drafting a package of tax breaks and spending cuts for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill."
X, the social media platform owned by Trump adviser Elon Musk, is challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota ban on using deepfakes to influence elections and harm candidates.
President Donald Trump repeated his attacks Monday against the chair of the Federal Reserve, demanding that the central bank lower its key interest rate.