Jeff Sessions resigns as US attorney-general at Trump’s request

Jeff Sessions has resigned as US attorney-general following a request to the effect by President Donald Trump.

Sessions said he “upheld the rule of law” during his time in office.

“At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Trump.

“In my time as attorney general, we have restored and upheld the rule of law – a glorious tradition that each of us has a responsibility to safeguard.”

Trump tweeted shortly after the resignation was announced, naming a temporary replacement of Sessions.

He wrote: “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. He will serve our Country well….

“We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.”

Sessions, a former senator representing Alabama, was among the early loyalists of Trump before their relationship soured shortly after he took office as attorney-general in 2017.

His trouble with Trump started after he had recused himself from oversight of the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Following the US midterm elections which saw Democrats take the house of representatives, Trump has warned against investigating him.

He tweeted: “If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level.

“Two can play that game.”