who was donald trump's first attorney general?

by Prof. Delta Schoen 4 min read

Jeff Sessions
Personal details
BornJefferson Beauregard Sessions III December 24, 1946 Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Mary Blackshear ​ ( m. 1969)​
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Who was the Attorney General when Trump took office?

May 26, 2020 · Who was attorney general before Barr? Matthew George Whitaker (born October 29, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the acting United States Attorney General from November 7, 2018, to February 14, 2019.

How is the Attorney General of the United States appointed?

1 hour ago · The comment was the first time the attorney general has addressed the discovery of 15 boxes of White House records found at former president Donald Trump's Mar-a …

Who was the Acting Attorney General before Jeff Sessions?

Feb 16, 2022 · Donald Trump has suggested the New York investigations into his businesses headed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are "racist" attacks ...

What was the first thing Donald Trump did as president?

Feb 18, 2022 · In ordering Donald Trump to sit for questions from state Attorney General Tish James within the next two weeks (and Don Jr. and Ivanka within the next three weeks), Manhattan state Supreme Court ...

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Who is head of Justice under Trump?

Rod RosensteinIn office April 26, 2017 – May 11, 2019PresidentDonald TrumpPreceded bySally YatesSucceeded byJeffrey A. Rosen18 more rows

Who was the first attorney general?

Edmund Jennings RandolphOn September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

Can the president fire the attorney general?

The President of the United States has the authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys, with the consent of the United States Senate, and the President may remove U.S. Attorneys from office. In the event of a vacancy, the United States Attorney General is authorized to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney.

Who was the previous attorney general of the United States?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentCharles Lee1795-1801William Bradford1794-1795Edmund Jennings Randolph1789-179482 more rows

Who was the first attorney in America?

Congress created the job of attorney general in 1789 when it passed the act that established the president's cabinet. Since each president chooses the members of his cabinet, George Washington chose the first attorney general. He chose Edmund Randolph for the job.

Who was the first female Attorney General of the United States?

On March 12, 1993, Ms. Reno became the first woman and 78th attorney general. She went on to become the longest serving attorney general in the 20th century.Mar 16, 2021

Has a US attorney general ever been impeached?

Attorneys General. While impeachment proceedings against cabinet secretaries is an exceedingly rare event, no office has provoked the ire of the House of Representatives than that of Attorney General. During the first fifth of the 21st century, no less than three Attorneys General have been subjected to the process.

Can a President fire a judge?

These judges, often referred to as “Article III judges,” are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. ... Article III judges can be removed from office only through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.

Can a US attorney be impeached?

The U.S. Constitution provides that civil officers of the United States, which would include the U.S. Attorney General, may be impeached by the House of Representatives for treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.

Who was the 1980s Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021John K. Van de Kamp1983 – 1991George Deukemejian1979 – 1983Evelle J. Younger1971 – 1979Thomas C. Lynch1964 – 197129 more rows

How many attorney generals are there in the United States?

The current party composition of the state attorneys general is: 23 Democrats....Current attorneys general.OfficeholderTreg TaylorStateAlaskaPartyRepublicanAssumed officeJanuary 30, 2021Term expiresAppointed55 more columns

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

Term Limits. Of the 50 Attorneys General, 25 do not have a formal provision specifying the number of terms allowed. Of the 44 elected attorneys general, all serve four-year terms with the exception of Vermont, who serves a two-year term.

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 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.

When was Tom Price confirmed?

Trump's selection of Representative Tom Price from Georgia was officially announced on November 28, 2016. Price was confirmed by the Senate on February 10, 2017 , in a 52–47 vote along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

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Overview

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

Overview

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

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"