President Bush has rejected calls for the resignation of Alberto Gonzales following his attorney general's Capitol Hill testimony last week.
Mr Bush said Mr Gonzales's performance before critical US lawmakers showed that the he "broke no laws" in the firings last year of eight US attorneys despite Democratic suspicions they were politically motivated.
A number of legislators from Mr Bush's Republican Party have raised doubts about whether Mr Gonzales will be able to hang on after what many lawmakers called a poor performance on Capitol Hill.
But Mr Bush said the attorney general gave a "very candid assessment and answered every question he could possibly answer . . . in a way that increased my confidence in his ability to do the job".
What is getting lost in the debate, said Mr Bush, is that Mr Gonzales and the president have the right to fire US attorneys if desired.
"It was clear that the attorney general broke no laws, did no wrongdoing," Mr Bush said. "Some senators didn't like his explanation, but he answered as honestly as he could. This is an honest, honourable man, in whom I have confidence."