Sally Yates: Resilience has kept us strong ‘despite relentless attacks’ on institutions and norms

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the U.S. has experienced “relentless attacks” on its institutions and norms and called for the country to strive to live up to American values.

“Despite relentless attacks on our democratic institutions and norms, our resilience has kept our country strong,” Yates tweeted on Tuesday.

“But we will remain so only if we strive to live up to the American values that make us who we are. We’re better than this.”

Despite relentless attacks on our democratic institutions and norms, our resilience has kept our country strong. But we will remain so only if we strive to live up to the American values that make us who we are. We’re better than this.

— Sally Yates (@SallyQYates) January 30, 2018

Yates was appointed deputy attorney general by former President Obama and remained in the role in the early days of President Trump’s administration.

{mosads}

Her tweet comes a year after she was fired by Trump after she refused to implement his initial travel ban on a number of predominately Muslim countries.

It also comes after Andrew McCabe stepped down as deputy director of the FBI, bowing to pressure from Trump and congressional Republicans who were clamoring for his ouster.

McCabe had already planned to leave the FBI at some point in 2018, but will now immediately go on leave and then retire in mid-March, when he is eligible to receive his full pension benefits.

Republican allies of Trump have long accused McCabe of bias in his handling of the Hillary Clinton email case.

McCabe’s abrupt retiring underscored the deteriorating relationship between the White House and the Justice Department as special counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation into Russia’s election interference and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

The tensions were heightened when the House Intelligence Committee voted Monday to make public a four-page memo that is said to allege misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI.

The White House has signaled support for releasing the memo even though the Justice Department opposed its release.