Donald Trump announced Monday via Twitter that William P. Barr will be stepping down as Attorney General just days before Christmas. Jeff Rosen will be replacing him.
Barr's departure ends a near two-year tenure where he served as Trump's lap attack dog, using his own high-ranking position to further empower the soon-to-be former President. Barr first managed to appeal to Trump in a June 2018 memo arguing that Trump shouldn't be investigated for obstruction of justice because he fired FBI director James Comey in the midst of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Barr was nominated to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General a few months later. One month after assuming the role, Barr submitted a four-page letter where he poorly summarized Mueller's 448-page report and determined that the special council's findings didn't warrant the obstruction of justice charge that Barr himself never believed Trump was guilty of in the first place.
Barr would continue to push forward Trump's political agenda by pursuing any and all legal loopholes, while also wielding his own power wherever he could. Their relationship took a downward turn earlier this month when Barr declared that there was no evidence of election fraud that impacted the results of this year's presidential election.
Since Trump had been clinging to this false narrative of election fraud, Barr's unwillingness to side with him when he needed him most created a divide between them. Trump has reportedly been considering firing Barr since his remarks were made, but has been repeatedly talked out of it. Trump finally spoke with Barr about his future as Attorney General in a meeting that has been described as "amicable" and "cordial."
