Dana Boente was sworn in as acting attorney general Monday night after President Trump fired Sally Yates for defying his immigration order, but he won't be in the job for long: The long-serving federal prosecutor will be replaced by GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions as soon as he receives Senate confirmation, which is expected to take a few days at most, CNN reports. "I am honored to serve President Trump in this role until Senator Sessions is confirmed," Boente, who has been with the Justice Department for 31 years, said in a statement. Boente tells the Washington Post that he will defend Trump's order and has told others to do the same.
Reuters notes that it is highly unusual for top Justice Department officials to publicly break with a president, with the most famous example being the 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre," when then-AG Elliot Richardson and his deputy quit after Richard Nixon asked them to fire the special prosecutor investigating him. On the Senate floor Monday night, Sen. Chuck Schumer called Yates' firing a "Monday night massacre" and praised her "brave act," reports Politico. The flip side of that sentiment comes from an unnamed Trump aide, who says, "She knew what she was doing and she knew she'd be fired. She just wanted the publicity." Yates was just days away from stepping down from the Justice Department after a 27-year career. (More attorney general stories.)
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