"You'll have to figure all of that out", the president said.
The president has never explained what he meant when he said he prefers acting secretaries because they give him more "flexibility".
I do not think it is right and fair for this administration's Labor Department to have Epstein as the focus, rather than the incredible economy that we have today. It turned out that the Acosta-engineered sweetheart deal gave him immunity from federal prosecution after a light sentence for crimes in Florida, but it did not give him immunity for his alleged exploitation of underaged girls in NY.
Epstein has pleaded not guilty.
In 2008, then-federal prosecutor Acosta's team cut a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein that ended with the billionaire copping to solicitation charges, having to register as a sex offender, and spending over a year in county jail.
On Wednesday Acosta held a news conference to defend his handling of the deal, which allowed Epstein to plead guilty to a state charge and not face federal prosecution.
The deal came under scrutiny earlier this year following reporting by the Miami Herald.
In 2008, Acosta was a USA attorney in Miami. Acosta's defence was ultimately not enough to keep his current job. In a 50-plus-minute lawyerly rebuttal, he argued his office had secured the best deal it could and had worked in the best interests of Epstein's victims. "Now part of it is our economy is so good, our unemployment numbers are at record lows, so many good things are happening, but the fact is he's been a very good secretary of labor", he told reporters.
Zarif Says UK Seizure Of Iranian Tanker Sets Dangerous Precedent
The service claimed its vessels had been carrying out patrols " according to regular procedures", the Mehr News Agency reported . The commerical tanker said to have been protected by the Royal Navy on Wednesday was operated by British Petroleum.
Pressed on whether he had any regrets, Acosta repeatedly said circumstances had changed since then. I haven't seen that workplace injuries are down, bucking a three-year trend.
"The rest of it, we'll have to look at it very carefully", Trump said in response to a question from a reporter in the Oval Office alongside Qatar's ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The office is interviewing people who say they were victims of Mr. Epstein and plans to forward any evidence to federal authorities, spokesman Matt Baca said in an e-mailed statement. Epstein had a social circle that over the years has included Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Jeffrey Epstein, left, with Donald Trump at the current president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 1997 Who is Jeffrey Epstein?
"Jeffrey Epstein is not a man I respected", he said. Deputy Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella will take over as acting secretary.
He is the latest top Trump administration official to depart under a cloud. Dershowitz denied the allegations against him, which were later withdrawn by the woman's attorneys.
Democratic lawmakers began to react to Acosta's resignation nearly immediately. Sen.
The U.S. Department of Labor is a sprawling agency that enforces more than 180 federal laws covering about 10 million employers and 125 million workers.
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