Trump Announces AG Barr Resignation, Effective Next Week

(Photo : Jeff Roberson - Pool/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General William Barr meets with members of the St. Louis Police Department during a round table discussion on Operation Legend on October 15, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri.

Attorney General William Barr officially filed for resignation from his post at the Department of Justice on Monday, announced President Donald Trump in a tweet.

Barr's resignation will be taking effect next week, December 23, just two days before Christmas.

"As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family," Trump said in a tweet, pertaining to Barr's resignation letter.

In the letter, Barr praised Trump for his accomplishments and said his presidency was met with a "partisan onslaught" and "relentless, implacable resistance."

He also said he updated the president about voter fraud allegations, a report from Breitbart noted.

Related Story: AG Barr Considers Early Resignation Before End of Trump's Term

Likewise, the president also said the outgoing attorney general had done an "outstanding job."

He defended his relationship with Barr and said they have "a very good one."

Posting Barr's resignation letter on Twitter, Trump said the acting AG would be deputy Jeff Rosen, whom the president called an "outstanding person".

 Rosen's post will be taken over by Richard Donoghue, reported Fox News.

Rifts Show Between Trump, Barr

Barr served as the attorney general for former president George Bush. He succeeded Jeff Sessions and Matt Whitaker in the nation's top law enforcement role.

He's been known as a supportive attorney general to Trump throughout his tenure.

In his letter, he said he was "greatly honored" to be tapped for the position and serve the position as attorney general again during Trump's administration.

Even though Barr has been known to be a Trump backer, rifts started to show between the two men, Newsmax said in its report.

Mainly, reports claim there has been some distance between Trump and Barr in recent weeks following the election and Trump's legal challenges to it.

Trump recently expressed concerns about Barr's performance because his voter fraud claims were not turning up with much evidence at the DOJ, reported Daily Caller.

As The Associated Press noted last week, the DOJ did not see "fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election."

Newsmax said these comments watered down the Trump campaign's bold claims to overturn the election and ensure a second term for the president.

Barr Reviews Voter Fraud with Trump Before Resignation

Barr said he discussed voter fraud allegations and the DOJ's review of these claims with the president on Monday.

They also talked about "how these allegations will continue to be pursued."

He called on all levels of government and agencies to assure the integrity of the election and promote the public's confidence in its outcome, especially "at a time when the country is so deeply divided."

Read also: Trump Says 'It's Not Over' Ahead of Electoral College Vote

Unlike Barr's first stint in the DOJ, this tenure was controversial.

He made aggressive moves to restore confidence in the department. But he was often criticized as one to bend to Trump's political demands.

Some instances for criticism was his involvement in criminal cases against some of the president's allies.

Tensions reached a point where some career prosecutors even felt the need to resign in protest.