Predictably the day after the midterm election President Donald Trump issued walking papers to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions who had become virtually useless after his surprise recusal soon after he took the oath of office. Sessions removed himself from anything related to his participation in the president’s 2016 campaign including Russia/Trump collusion and Hillary Clinton’s numberless legal problems.

Without hesitation President Trump named Sessions’ Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker as acting U.S. Attorney General a position he can hold for up to 210 days, according to federal law. Then Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was removed from overseeing FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia/Trump collusion investigation. It was announced before the midterm election that Mueller would be releasing his findings including any charges or indictments stemming from his 2-year-long probe that cost taxpayers upwards to $20-million dollars – after the midterm election.

As things stand now it will be Whitaker – not Rosenstein — who decides if any of Mueller’s findings will be acted upon by the U.S. Department of Justice. In chess terms President Trump has called ‘Checkmate.’ Apparently Mueller’s report will not be made public until Whitaker decides if anything Mueller’s investigative team learned is worth pursuing any further. In theory Mueller, 74, a former FBI director, is supposed to turn over his final report to the DOJ and then close down the Special Counsel’s office and go back to his retirement.

Of course the Democrats are clamoring away about Rosenstein’s replacement saying that Whitaker should recuse himself due to past public statements derogatory toward Mueller’s probe. Whitaker will not be recusing himself from anything DOJ is involved with. There will be no more recusals, not in the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, Sessions’ long-term replacements are lining up. They now include retiring U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and retiring Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Both Gowdy and Christie would be good choices. Each is known for being aggressive federal prosecutors before being elected to public office. Giuliani is now President Trump’s lead attorney working with Team Mueller. Giuliani’s appointment to U.S. Attorney General would be the most controversial of the group and the most difficult to receive U.S. Senate confirmation, but Gowdy and Christie are hated by the Democrats as well.

In recent years — Gowdy, Christie and Giuliani have all had their time in the national spotlight for one reason or another, but not Bondi. This smart as a whip prosecutor that rose through the ranks to become Florida’s number one law enforcement officer is by far the best choice to rise to the office of U.S. Attorney General. But she too would be mercilessly opposed by Senate Democrats, but with gaining Senate seats during the midterm election the Republicans can push through Bondi’s confirmation easily no matter how much the Democrats whined and cried.

The least controversial choice for U.S. Attorney General would be Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta who is also under consideration, according to Real Clear Politics.

It is any wonder that the Democrats are challenging close Senate races in Arizona and Florida. As the official counts stands now the U.S. Senate makeup will be 46 Democrats to 52 Republicans, but with Arizona and Florida in dispute these numbers could rise or fall. Both Republican Senate candidates in Arizona and Florida won their elections, but their margin of victory was so close that mandatory time consuming recounts are being conducted. In both states, out of the blue more ballots are being found adding to the growing controversies.

Political shenanigans by the Democrats seem to be emerging that will undoubtedly lead to investigations and lawsuits. For instance, in Florida there is a growing list of thousands of Democratic voters that apparently voted by mail and again in person – which is strictly illegal. But if Arizona and Florida results hold the Senate Republicans will grow to 54, but lawyers for both sides are digging in for the long haul.

And Finally CNN’s Jim Acosta had his White House press pass suspended and he’s been kicked out indefinitely. He will not be missed. His ranting, grandstanding and grappling for the microphone with a female White House intern during last Wednesday’s press conference with President Trump led to his demise. As Acosta was at the White House the U.S. Secret Service seized Acosta’s press credential.

This incident with Acosta was not his first, but it will be his last. Say Goodbye Jim.

About the Author Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.