The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday asked a federal court to sentence longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneJustice IG investigating Stone sentencing: report Romney says Trump's protest tweets 'clearly intended to further inflame racial tensions' Bannon trial date set in alleged border wall scam MORE to "far less" than the seven to nine years in prison that it recommended just a day earlier, a controversial move that is sparking questions about potential White House interference.

"The government respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration far less than 87 to 108 months’ imprisonment would be reasonable under the circumstances," DOJ wrote.

The department said it would ultimately defer to the court as to the specific sentence to be imposed, but that the previous recommendation "does not accurately reflect the Department of Justice’s position on what would be a reasonable sentence in this matter."

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"While it remains the position of the United States that a sentence of incarceration is warranted here, the government respectfully submits that the range of 87 to 108 months presented as the applicable advisory Guidelines range would not be appropriate or serve the interests of justice in this case."

Three DOJ prosecutors who had recommended the longer sentence all withdrew from the case on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Trump had personally criticized the first sentencing guidance on Twitter, calling it a "horrible and very unfair situation."