Preet Bharara said Saturday he was fired "moments ago" after refusing to agree to the surprise Trump Justice Department demand that he and 45 other U.S. attorneys submit their resignations.



In a tweet, he reiterated that he did not resign his post as one of the nation's top federal prosecutors.

The afternoon announcement came less than a day after the Justice Department asked 46 holdover U.S. attorneys from the Obama administration to submit their resignations.

The Justice Department said it was not unusual for a new administration to request such resignations.

"I did not resign," Bharara said in a tweet. "Moments ago I was fired. Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life."

Preet tweet

Just months ago, Bharara met with Donald J. Trump at Trump Tower, and announced that the then-president-elect had asked him to stay on as the high-profile United States attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan.

Several officials familiar with the matter told NBC News that Bharara was certain Trump wanted him to stay on.