U.S. Attorney General William Barr will step down from his post before Christmas, President Donald Trump announced in a tweet late Monday.
Barr’s last day will be Dec. 23. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will step in as acting attorney general, and Richard Donoghue will move up to deputy attorney general, Trump said.
In his resignation letter, Barr said “it is incumbent on all levels of government, and all agencies acting within their purview, to do all we can to assure the integrity of elections and promote public confidence in their outcome.”
Barr’s early departure had been rumored, especially after Trump recently expressed his displeasure with him. While Trump has repeatedly made false claims that the election was stolen from him, Barr has said the Justice Department has found no proof of widespread voter fraud. Earlier this month, Trump refused to give Barr a vote of confidence.
While Barr has been a strong supporter of Trump in most matters, Trump has often complained that Barr has not done enough to support him.
The New York Times reported last week that Barr felt he has done everything he set out to accomplish at the Justice Department.
