Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions

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01:32

At the request of US President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has submitted his resignation.

Trump announced in a tweet that Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker will become the new acting attorney general, until a new attorney general can be confirmed by the Senate.

Sessions announced his resignation in a letter to Trump, saying that the resignation came "at your request."

"We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States," Trump tweeted.

Screenshot of Trump's tweet

"We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date," Trump said in a tweet.

US media reported that Trump had asked White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to ask Sessions to resign, prompting Sessions to submit the letter.

In the letter Sessions said he had been "honored... to implement the law enforcement agenda based on the rule of law that formed a central part" of the Trump campaign for presidency.

Jeff Sessions resignation letter:

The move took place shortly after a press conference Trump gave at the White House during which he said Sessions' fate was under consideration. It marked the first cabinet member exit from the Trump administration after the midterm elections, which ended late Tuesday.

Soon after the Russia investigation was announced in early 2017, Sessions recused himself from his oversight role at the Department of Justice because of his significant role in supporting Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

As the Russia investigation began gathering momentum, Trump began publicly berating Sessions in the media and on Twitter for allowing the probe to move forward, while not being more aggressive against Trump's former presidential opponent.

Robert Mueller has since begun examining whether Trump's attacks on Sessions was part of a broader effort to obstruct justice.

Screenshot of Trump's tweet

Who is Matthew Whitaker?

Whitaker, a former US Attorney for Iowa's Southern District under President Bush, a former college football player, and a frequent commentator on CNN, may also assume control over the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections.

When asked about the matter, the Department of Justice said Whitaker would be “in charge of all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice.”

Chief of Staff to the Attorney General Matthew Whitaker attends a roundtable discussion with foreign liaison officers at the Justice Department in Washington, US, August 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Department of Justice did not announce a departure for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller more than a year and a half ago and has closely overseen his work since then.

Whitaker has been vocal in his criticisms about the investigation and, at times, has said Mueller has taken the probe too far.

(CGTN's Nathan King also contributed to the story.)