Washington, D.C.

Sessions fired: President Trump forced out Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week, raising alarm over the fate of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference. Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, an outspoken critic of the Mueller investigation, will take over as acting attorney general. One month before being hired by Sessions, Whitaker wrote in CNN .com that Mueller was “going too far” by investigating Trump’s business dealings. Whitaker also speculated on cable news last year that if Trump fired Sessions, a temporary attorney general could reduce the special counsel’s budget “so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt.” Trump pilloried Sessions for recusing himself from the investigation, calling Sessions “beleaguered,” “VERY weak,” and “DISGRACEFUL.” Last summer, Sessions offered to resign after being accused of “disloyalty.” Despite their feud, Sessions has been effective in carrying out Trump’s agenda, particularly his border immigration crackdown.