Despite recent tensions over several pending investigations, Attorney General William Barr appeared to leave on good terms with President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted that Barr had resigned Monday following an Oval Office meeting and praised him for an “outstanding job.”
Barr likewise offered high praise for Trump in his letter of resignation.
Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
Barr—a longtime Trump ally and defender—faced heat from Trump for failing to produce the Durham report on corrupt Democrats’ Russia collusion hoax prior to the election.
Some questioned the rationale behind his recent decision to appoint US Attorney John Durham as a special counsel, which could potentially prevent Trump from declassifying key documents.
Barr also drew criticism for publicly second-guessing reports of widespread vote fraud that Trump’s campaign legal team had pursued.
Left-wing media have frequently pointed to Barr’s statement that there was no actionable evidence of vote fraud to suggest falsely that the claims themselves had been debunked.
The final straw may have been the public acknowledgement from Hunter Biden that he was under a tax-fraud investigation.
While the integrity of the investigation may have hinged upon keeping it closely guarded, the confirmation during pre-election scandals may have impacted Trump’s impeachment proceedings last year as well as the Nov. 3 election.
Trump had retweeted items critical of Barr recently, calling him a “big disappointment.”
Trump expressed confidence in Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, who will step in for the duration of the term, which will be roughly a month until the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Democrat Joe Biden is expected to assume the presidency then, barring any dramatic reversals in Trump’s legal efforts.
…Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all! pic.twitter.com/V5sqOJT9PM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
