The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia has resigned following reported pressure related to investigations into two of Donald Trump’s political opponents.

Siebert’s resignation communicated to staff via email, comes just hours after Trump publicly stated, “I wanted him out”, during a press conference in the Oval Office.

Siebert faced calls to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump dismissed in 2017 and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

According to reports, some administration officials advocated for Siebert to retain his position even as he indicated he would not pursue charges against Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and deemed there was insufficient evidence to charge James with mortgage fraud.

Comey has been a vocal critic of Trump and was dismissed while overseeing an investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.

James, meanwhile, has filed a $464 million lawsuit against Trump, alleging he and his company inflated his wealth and manipulated property values to secure favourable loans and insurance terms.

Trump has suggested that James may be guilty of misconduct, stating “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know”.

A graduate of Virginia Military Institute and a former Washington police officer, led a team of about 300 prosecutors in a district known for handling significant national security cases.