In a typically small and vindictive fashion, US bigot-in-chief Donald Trump fired the acting United States Attorney General after she refused to defend his immigration executive order in Federal Court.

Sally Q. Yates was a holdover from the Obama Administration, doing the White House a favor by running the US Justice Department until Trump's nominee for Attorney General could pass confirmation in the US Senate.  Late on Monday afternoon, Ms. Yates sent a message to Justice Department lawyers that Trump's executive order banning people from seven predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the US was not worth defending in court.

Laying bare the deep divisions that Trump and his mob have caused among government lawyers and diplomats, as well as explaining a law enforcement official's actual duties, Ms. Yates wrote: "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," laying bare the deep divisions that Trump and his mob have caused among government lawyers and diplomats, as well as explaining a law enforcement official's actual duties.

"For as long as I am the acting attorney general," she continued, "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."

Well, she wouldn't be acting attorney general for much longer.  A few hours later, she was fired.

Trump declared that Ms. Yates had "betrayed" his administration - not the law, not the constitution, but his administration.

Diminutive White House spokeshobbit Sean Spicer affected his best tough guy impersonation.  "These career bureaucrats have a problem with it?" he said, probably trying to mimic the guy who stole his lunch money in the 5th grade, "They should either get with the program or they can go."

Since Yates already had one foot out of the door anyway, Trump's dumbf**ckery seems especially petty.  But it's particularly stunning in the careless way Trump has already drawn comparisons to Richard Nixon's infamous "Saturday Night Massacre" of 20 October 1973.  Nixon demanded his attorney general and deputy attorney general fire Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, but they resigned in protest.  Nixon appointed right-wing toadie Robert Bork as acting attorney general, and Bork fired Cox.  Less than a year later, Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace for his role in the Watergate Scandal.