who is the attorney general under president trump

by Prof. Cody Koss 7 min read

William Barr
Official portrait, 2019
77th and 85th United States Attorney General
In office February 14, 2019 – December 23, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
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Who was the Attorney General when Trump took office?

May 26, 2020 · The 85th and current United States Attorney General is William Barr, appointed by President Donald J. Trump.

Who is the new Attorney General?

Feb 11, 2022 · Who Is The Current Us Attorney General? US: Merrick Garland ttorship / Attorney general

How many attorneys have been confirmed by the Senate under Trump?

Feb 19, 2022 · In addition to its executive staff and several deputies, the Office of the Attorney General is tasked with supporting the attorney general’s efforts. United States Attorney General Merrick Garland...

Are lawyers in the Trump administration qualified to be political appointees?

Dec 07, 2018 · President Donald Trump has nominated William Barr to be the new attorney general, a post he held in the 1990s. By replacing Jeff Sessions, who was fired by Mr Trump last month, the 68-year-old will...

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Who is the Secretary of Agriculture?

Sonny Perdue. On January 18, 2017, Sonny Perdue, former governor of Georgia, was selected to be the Secretary of Agriculture. On April 24, 2017, Perdue was confirmed by the Senate in an 87–11 vote. He served until the end of the Trump administration, on January 20, 2021.

Who was the Treasury Secretary in 2016?

Trump announced the selection of investment banker Steve Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury on November 30, 2016. The New York Times noted that Mnuchin's selection was surprising, since Trump had attacked the banking industry and Goldman Sachs during the campaign. Mnuchin is the third Goldman alumnus to serve as treasury secretary.

Why are cabinet members not able to take office?

Despite being nominated promptly during the transition period, most cabinet members were unable to take office on Inauguration Day because of delays in the formal confirmation process. By February 8, 2017, President Trump had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed than any prior president two weeks into his mandate, except George Washington. Part of the lateness was ascribed to opposition by Senate Democrats and part to delays in submitting background-check paperwork. The final initial Cabinet member to take office, Robert Lighthizer, took office as U.S. Trade Representative on May 11, 2017, more than four months after his nomination.

What was Trump's first act as president?

One of Donald Trump's first acts as president was the approval of Mattis's waiver to become Secretary of Defense. After being confirmed by the Senate on the evening of January 20, 2017, by a vote of 98–1, Mattis was sworn in by Vice President Pence on the same evening.

When did Trump dismiss Tillerson?

On March 13, 2018, Trump dismissed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, and announced his nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to the office. Pompeo was confirmed by the Senate on April 26 in a 57–42 vote and was sworn in later that day. He served until the end of Trump's term, on January 20 2021.

Who is the only cabinet member to be elected to the position and who does not serve at the pleasure of the President?

The Vice President is the only cabinet member to be elected to the position and who does not serve at the pleasure of the President. There were dozens of potential running mates for Trump who received media speculation. Trump's eventual pick of Governor Mike Pence of Indiana was officially announced on July 16, 2016, and confirmed by acclamation via parliamentary procedure amongst delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016.

When was Wilbur Ross confirmed?

On February 27, 2017, he was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 72–27 vote. He assumed office on February 28, 2017, and left office at the end of the Trump administration.

Who is Barr in the Justice Department?

What you might not know: Barr is a musician. He began playing the bagpipes as a child and has occasionally played at Justice Department functions. In his first stint as attorney general under President George H. W. Bush, Barr oversaw Robert Mueller, who was then in charge of the Justice Department's criminal division.

Who replaced Matthew Whitaker?

He replaced acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who held the top post since Trump fired his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, in November 2018. Trump has said that Barr was his "first choice from day one.".

What did Barr say about Mueller?

Two days after Barr received Mueller's report, Barr sent a four-page summary to Congress, saying: "The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.".

How many daughters does Barr have?

The couple has three daughters together. Before Barr joined the Trump administration, his oldest daughter, Mary Daly, worked in the Justice Department as the director of opioid enforcement and prevention, but she left her role for the Treasury Department's financial crimes unit as her father was confirmed.

When is Barr's testifying?

Barr is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on March 31, giving Democrats the chance to question him not only about the reversal of Stone's sentencing recommendation, but also about other matters that have emerged in the aftermath of Trump's impeachment.

What did Barr say about Russia?

In December 2019, for example, Barr described the Russia investigation as a "tra vesty," and lambasted former FBI officials involved in opening it, claiming "the greatest danger to our free system" is that the Obama administration "spied" on the Trump campaign in a way that he said sought to influence the 2016 election.

Where is Barr from?

Hometown: New York , NY. Family: Barr is one of four children. His father, Donald, taught at Columbia University before becoming the headmaster of the Dalton School. His mother, Mary, was a Yale graduate and taught at Columbia as well. He's been married to his wife, Christine, for more than forty years.

Who is William Barr?

William Barr, 69 and a veteran of 40 years in Washington, was confirmed one year ago as attorney general, a position with broad influence over the administration of justice and broad sway over public faith placed in it.

Where did Barr grow up?

Barr grew up in New York City, graduated from George Washington University law school, served in the Reagan administration and was attorney general under George HW Bush, establishing a record as a hardliner on gang violence and immigration and advocating for pardons in the Iran-Contra affair.

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Overview

Presidential transition

It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day (January 20) of a new president. The deputy attorney general is also expected to tender a resignation, but is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new attorney general.

History

Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the U…

Line of succession

U.S.C. Title 28, §508 establishes the first two positions in the line of succession, while allowing the attorney general to designate other high-ranking officers of the Department of Justice as subsequent successors. Furthermore, an Executive Order defines subsequent positions, the most recent from March 31, 2017, signed by President Donald Trump. The current line of succession is:
1. United States Deputy Attorney General

See also

• Executive Order 13787 for "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice"

Overview

Donald Trump assumed office as President of the United States on January 20, 2017, and his term ended on January 20, 2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
Before confirmation and during congressional hearingsa high-level career me…

History

Choosing members of the presidential Cabinet (and other high-level positions) is a complicated process, and began before the November 2016 general election results were known. In the case of the Trump 2016 campaign, his former rival for the Republican nomination Chris Christie was appointed to lead the transition team in May 2016, shortly after Ted Cruz and John Kasichsuspended their campaigns (thus making Trump the presumptive nominee of the party). In addit…

Announced nominees

All members of the Cabinet of the United States require the advice and consent of the United States Senate following appointment by the president before taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires election to office pursuant to the United States Constitution. Although some are afforded cabinet-level rank, non-cabinet members within the Executive Office of the President, such as White House Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor, …

Analysis

Due to Trump's lack of government or military experience and his political positions, much interest was expressed in the media over his cabinet nominations, as they were believed to show how he intended to govern.
Trump's proposed cabinet was characterized by the media as being very conservative. It was described as a "conservative dream team" by Politico, "the most conservative cabinet [in United S…

Formation

After Election Day, media outlets reported on persons described by various sources as possible appointments to senior positions in the incoming Trump presidency. The number of people which have received media attention as potential cabinet appointees is higher than in most previous presidential elections, partly because the Trump '16 campaign staff (and associated PACs) was significantly smaller and less expensive, thus there are not as many people already expected to r…

Cabinet

The following cabinet positions are listed in order of their creation (also used as the basis for the United States presidential line of succession).
The nomination of a Secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Foreign Relations committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Cabinet-level officials

Cabinet-level officials have positions that are considered to be of Cabinet level, but which are not part of the Cabinet. Which exact positions are considered part of the presidential cabinet, can vary with the president. The CIA and FEMA were cabinet-level agencies under Bill Clinton, but not George W. Bush. The head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (aka the drug czar) was a cabinet-lev…

See also

• Inauguration of Donald Trump
• List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
• Presidential transition of Donald Trump