In an interview with NPR on Thursday, Mr. Barr said Mr. Berman was “living on borrowed time from the beginning” because the president had not appointed him. More than any other federal prosecutor’s office, the Manhattan office had pursued investigations that angered Mr. Trump. The conflict erupted publicly last Friday, when Mr. Barr announced that Mr. Berman was stepping down and would be replaced temporarily by an ally of the administration. Mr. Berman then issued his own statement saying he had no intention of resigning. By Saturday afternoon, amid the unusual standoff, Mr. Barr informed Mr. Berman that Mr. Trump had fired him and that he would be replaced temporarily with Mr. Berman’s own deputy.

Source: New York Times June 25, 2020 22:25 UTC