SESSIONS FIRED – AT 5:14 P.M. ET:  Jeff Sessions has been fired by President Trump.  From Fox:

Jeff Sessions, once one of President Trump’s most loyal and trusted advisers before infuriating Trump over his recusal from the Russia investigation, has resigned as attorney general at the request of the president.

“At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions wrote in a Wednesday letter to Trump.

The president tweeted that Matthew Whitaker, chief of staff to Sessions, will become the acting attorney general. Whitaker, according to sources, is now overseeing everything at the Justice Department, including the Russia investigation -- despite calls from Democrats to recuse himself.

“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,” he said.

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

COMMENT:  My sense is that the president should have waited for election tensions to die down before making this change.  He's only looking for trouble, and he will find it.

Whitaker is known as a severe critic of the Mueller investigation,  That immediately makes him a lightning rod.  At the same time, the president is now better positioned to deal with Mueller, who's expected to issue a report soon.

November 7, 2018