Mere hours after acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates publicly refused to defend President Donald Trump's executive order enacting an immigration ban, she was fired and replaced with Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
In a statement released Monday night, the White House said they believed Yates had "betrayed the Department of Justice" for refusing to defend the ban, and that it was proof she was "weak" on borders and illegal immigration.
"Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration," the statement said. "It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals traveling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country."
Previously, Yates had written in a letter to Justice Department lawyers that she was "not convinced" that the executive order was "lawful," adding that the Office of Legal Counsel's review of it "does not address whether any policy choice embodied in an executive order is wise or just."
"My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts," she wrote. "In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right."
"At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful," she continued. "Consequently, for as long as I am the acting Attorney General, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so."
Trump later took to Twitter with an accusation of his own, stating his belief that Senate Democrats were delaying his cabinet picks "for purely political reasons" — specifically calling out Yates as acting Attorney General. (It's worth noting that while Trump did not nominate Yates, his administration did ask her to stay on temporarily until his pick is confirmed.)
"They have nothing going but to obstruct," he wrote. "Now have an Obama A.G."
The president previously nominated Jeff Sessions to be his Attorney General, a wildly unpopular choice for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that Sessions was deemed too racist to become a U.S. District Court judge in the 80s. He has not been confirmed, and many Senate Democrats have made it clear they intend to vote "no" on his appointment.
