President Donald Trump reportedly recently called a longtime political adviser to ask “what would happen if I fired Sessions,” after repeatedly airing his disagreements with the prominent cabinet member.
The unnamed political associate counseled against the dismissal, arguing “If you’re going to fire people at Justice, don’t you want to save that bullet for Mueller,” according to Axios Tuesday.
Trump’s inquiry comes after days spent publicly disparaging Sessions. The onslaught of criticism began during a July 19 interview with the NYTimes, in which Trump conceded that he would not have appointed Sessions to head the Department of Justice had he known the former Alabama lawmaker would recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
Trump called Sessions’ decision to recuse himself “very unfair to the President” and argued that it led to the unnecessary appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump continued his public criticism Monday, referring to Sessions as “beleagured” and questioning why the Justice Department hasn’t devoted more resources to investigating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s contacts with Russia. (RELATED: Hillary Clinton’s Opposition To Russia Sanctions Coincided With Bill’s $500K Moscow Speech)
He subsequently called Sessions “very weak” and continued to question why the Justice Department has not aggressively pursued an investigation into the Clinton campaign Tuesday morning. (RELATED: Trump’s Attacks On Sessions Continue, As He Claims The AG Is ‘Very Weak’ On ‘Clinton Crime’ And ‘Intel Leakers’)
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giulani is reportedly being considered to replace Sessions, should Trump follow through on his dismissal. Giulani denied the report, saying he is not being considered for the position, he further expressed support for Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
Sessions, who was influential in shaping Trump’s immigration and criminal justice policies, responded to Trump’s criticisms by vowing to remain in his role for “as long as appropriate,” during a press conference Thursday.
“I have the honor of serving as attorney general. It’s something that goes beyond any thought I would have ever had for myself,” Sessions said in a statement. “We love this job, we love this department and I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate.”
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