Just a little earlier today, FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe announced that instead of going on terminal leave, that is, leave that ends with retirement, beginning in March, he was going to go on leave today and not come back to the FBI.

NEW: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has stepped down, CBS News' Pat Milton reports; source says McCabe was "forced to step down" pic.twitter.com/fedIkGzF0h

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 29, 2018

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is retiring from the FBI, CBS News' Pat Milton has confirmed. A source familiar with the matter confirms that McCabe was forced to step down. He is currently on leave and will official retire in March. https://t.co/fgAFw9CrEX pic.twitter.com/fH9BgSlK9m

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 29, 2018

** BREAKING ** McCabe OUT at FBI
Source familiar says that, in advance of the IG report, McCabe was told to begin what is referred to as “terminal leave.”

— Jake Gibson (@JakeBGibson) January 29, 2018

And then you have the New York Times…

In widely expected move, McCabe, the FBI’s No. 2, who has been under fire from Trump, steps down, taking leave immediately in advance of retirement in March. @adamgoldmanNYT https://t.co/LcaWhlyecr

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) January 29, 2018

And you have Jim Acosta:

Source familiar with McCabe matter describes his departure as a “mutual” decision. He was tired of being “undermined” but Trump and WH was “not happy” with him.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 29, 2018

It is plausible that McCabe was forced out. He has become a lightning rod for criticism of the FBI. He’s the subject of a Hatch Act investigation that is going to recommend sanctions of some kind. The Justice IG is about to release a report on the Clinton email investigation and it is likely to be ugly. He’s disliked by the White House. He’s not, as far as I can tell, trusted by anyone. Christopher Wray visited with Devin Nunes yesterday and got a chance to see the memo the never-Trump people are all watery-boweled about. And this morning McCabe bids us a fond adieu. That, to me, says he was pushed.

It is also possible that this just stopped being fun for McCabe. He’d already announced he was going on terminal leave in March. If you are in a senior position like McCabe, the moment you announce the date you are leaving you can feel the power drain away. People simply stop listening to you and they stop doing things they don’t want to do because they know they’ll outlast you. Couple that with the intense criticism he’s taking and that could be a powerful incentive to leave.

And Acosta changes his mind:

More… Source telling us FBI Director Wray told McCabe he was bringing on a new team and that he was not part of it. Writing was on the all. All points to McCabe essentially being pushed out. https://t.co/6gET0Y7dOH

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 29, 2018

CNN is now saying McCabe did not plan on stepping down last Friday

From our Justice team One source said FBI Deputy Director McCabe's departure was not in the plans as of Friday. The source said McCabe was told this morning to step down. A second source described McCabe’s departure as being “removed”.

— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskNews) January 29, 2018