Trump sacks defiant acting attorney general

Donald Trump has fired the acting US attorney general,
 after she questioned the legality of his immigration ban.

Sally Yates, who had been appointed under Barack 
Obama, earlier ordered justice department lawyers
 not to enforce the president's executive order.

Dana Boente, US attorney for the Eastern District of
 Virginia, replaced her as acting attorney general.

He has directed the department to enforce Mr Trump's 
order.

In a statement, the White House said Ms Yates had
 "betrayed" the department.

Mr Trump's order temporarily banned nationals from 
seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US,
 and sparked street protests in the US and abroad.

In a letter , Ms Yates had said she was "not convinced" 
that the president's order was lawful.

"As long as I am the acting attorney general, the 
department of justice will not present arguments in 
defence of the Executive Order," she said.

Within hours, the White House announced: "President 
Trump relieved Ms Yates of her duties."

She had "betrayed the department of justice by
 refusing to enforce a legal order designed to 
protect the citizens of the United States", a statement
 from the press secretary said.

It also described her as "weak on borders and very 
weak on illegal immigration".


Donald Trump's critics are calling it the "Monday 
Night Massacre". That's a reference to President
 Richard Nixon's Saturday night sacking of his 
attorney general during the depths of the Watergate 
scandal of 1973, the last time top justice department 
officials were forced out by a president.

This time around is a bit different, however.
 Acting Attorney General Sally Yates essentially 
forced Mr Trump's hand when she ordered justice 
department lawyers not to defend the president's
recent immigration order in court.

Mr Trump could not abide such defiance from an 
Obama Administration holdover due for replacement
 soon anyway. Once again, however, his White House 
team could not help but turn the rhetorical volume up to
 11 in announcing the firing, accusing Ms Yates of
 having "betrayed" the justice department.

Ms Yates's move follows on the heels of a similar over-
the-top reaction to a letter, signed by more than 100
 career state department officials, condemning the immigration action as un- American.

It's easy to imagine that this administration - just over a
 week in power - feels set against a Washington
 bureaucracy seeking to undermine it at every turn. If that 
kind of bunker mentality grows in the days ahead, 
this political bloodletting likely will be only the beginning.


Her replacement, Mr Boente, was also appointed by 
Barack Obama, in 2015. He was confirmed by the US 
Senate - making him eligible for appointment while Mr 
Trump waits for his own nominee to be approved.

Senator Jeff Sessions is awaiting a confirmation 
hearing for the role later this week.

Meanwhile, hundreds of diplomats and foreign servants 
have been drafting a "dissent cable" to formally criticise
 the president's executive order.

A draft version of the cable said that immigration
 restrictions will not make the US safer, are un-American 
and will send the wrong message to the Muslim world.

The ban bars citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, 
Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The White House has consistently defended Mr 
Trump's executive order despite the controversy,
 with press secretary Sean Spicer saying diplomats 
should "get with the programme".

In addition, former President Barack Obama has 
apparently broken with the convention of former
 presidents avoiding comment on their successors.

Commenting on the protests about the immigration 
order, President Obama said he was "heartened".

"Citizens exercising their constitutional right to
 assemble, organise and have their voices heard
 by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to
 see when American values are at stake," he said in a statement, which did not mention Mr Trump by name.

Mr Trump also replaced the acting director of the 
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Daniel 
Ragsdale, who has been in the post since 20 January. 
He is the former deputy director.

The president appointed Thomas Homan, the 
executive associate director of enforcement and 
removal, as the new acting director.

A statement from the department of homeland 
security announcing the change did not explain the 
reason for it.