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Trump denounces Jeff Sessions for being 'weak' on Hillary Clinton Donald Trump denounces Jeff Sessions for being 'weak' on Hillary Clinton
(about 2 hours later)
Donald Trump on Tuesday condemned Jeff Sessions for his “very weak position” on Hillary Clinton, as he continued to rage against the attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his attacks on Jeff Sessions, questioning why the US attorney general was not investigating his former opponent Hillary Clinton, the latest turn in the president’s extraordinary feud with one of his top lieutenants.
In a series of early morning tweets, issued on a day expected to feature a crucial Senate vote on healthcare reform, with a new Russia sanctions bill heading to his desk and after his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s appearance before the Senate intelligence committee, Trump blasted the investigation into Russian meddling into last year’s US election. In a series of early-morning tweets issued on a day expected to feature a crucial Senate vote on healthcare reform, with a new Russia sanctions bill poised to soon reach his desk and ahead of his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s appearance before the House intelligence committee, Trump focused his ire once more on Sessions and the investigation into Russian meddling into last year’s US election.
Trump has been reported to be frustrated over the progress of the investigation into Russian meddling led by special counsel Robert Mueller, and to be seeking ways to control or block it. Trump has long expressed his frustration with the federal inquiry into potential collusion between his campaign and Moscow, led by the special counsel Robert Mueller. In recent weeks, the president has reportedly sought ways to control or block it and sent strong signals that Sessions’ days are numbered.
He slammed Sessions for not investigating his presidential rival in the race and raised questions, without offering evidence, about Ukraine’s alleged role in supporting the Democratic candidate. The president, who said last week he would not have hired Sessions had he known the attorney general would recuse himself from overseeing the FBI’s Russia probe, slammed his longtime ally for not investigating his presidential rival in the 2016 election.
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!” Trump wrote. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!” Trump wrote, before accusing the acting FBI director of holding a bias against him.
“Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!”“Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!”
McCabe’s wife, Jill McCabe, ran for state senate in Virginia in 2015, and lost. She received donations from sources connected to Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton ally. McCabe’s wife, Jill McCabe, ran for the Virginia state senate in 2015, and lost. She received donations from sources connected to Virginia’s governor, Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton supporter, but not from Clinton directly.
In an earlier tweet, Trump wrote: “Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - ‘quietly working to boost Clinton’. So where is the investigation A.G”. In an earlier tweet, Trump wrote: “Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - ‘quietly working to boost Clinton’. So where is the investigation A.G.”
The president regularly tweets early in the morning, often reflecting opinions voiced on the Fox News show Fox & Friends. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the show the president was “frustrated and disappointed” with Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. The president’s public assault on Sessions raised the specter of Trump possibly firing the attorney general, who has thus far weathered the criticism and expressed his intention to remain at the helm of the justice department.
Speaking to the conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, the newly minted White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, said Trump was “obviously frustrated” with Sessions while adding: “There’s this level of tension in the relationship that’s public.”
The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, echoed the president’s thinking on the Fox News morning talk show Fox and Friends, reiterating that Trump was “frustrated and disappointed” with Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
“That frustration certainly hasn’t gone away,” she said. “And I don’t think it will.”“That frustration certainly hasn’t gone away,” she said. “And I don’t think it will.”
Sessions made the decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after it was revealed that he had twice met Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US, last year and did not disclose the meetings while testifying at his Senate confirmation hearing.
Trump’s comments on Tuesday followed a pattern that intensified earlier this month with harsh criticism of Sessions in an interview with the New York Times. On Monday, Trump referred to the attorney general in a tweet as “beleaguered”.Trump’s comments on Tuesday followed a pattern that intensified earlier this month with harsh criticism of Sessions in an interview with the New York Times. On Monday, Trump referred to the attorney general in a tweet as “beleaguered”.
Reports have indicated that privately, Trump has speculated to allies about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, fuelling speculation that Sessions may end up offering his resignation. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post “as long as appropriate”. Reports have indicated that privately Trump has speculated to allies about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, who said last week he intended to stay in his post “as long as appropriate”.
Sessions made the decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after it was revealed that he had met Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US, last year and did not disclose such meetings. The House speaker, Paul Ryan, the most senior Republican in Congress, deferred to the president when pressed repeatedly on Tuesday about the implications of Trump firing Sessions.
On Friday the Washington Post reported that Kislyak told superiors he discussed election-related issues with Sessions during the 2016 election. The Post cited anonymous US officials who described intelligence intercepts of Kislyak’s descriptions of his meetings with Sessions, then a foreign policy adviser to Trump. “The president gets to decide what his personnel is ... He’s the executive branch. We’re the legislative branch,” Ryan told reporters at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
“He determines who is hired and fired in the executive branch – that’s his prerogative,” Ryan added. “If he has any concerns or questions or problems with the attorney general, I’m sure he’ll bring it up with him himself.”
The South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s most vocal Republican critics, took a sharper tone, dubbing the president’s tweets “highly inappropriate”.
“Jeff understands that we are a nation of laws, not men,” Graham said in a statement on Tuesday. “On occasion, I’ve vigorously disagreed with Jeff but I’ve never once doubted his integrity or sense of fair play.”
Graham also voiced concern over Trump’s suggestion that Sessions investigate Clinton, who was cleared last year of any criminal wrongdoing in the investigation over her emails and since the election remains a private citizen.
“Prosecutorial decisions should be based on applying facts to the law without hint of political motivation,” Graham said. “To do otherwise is to run away from the longstanding American tradition of separating the law from politics regardless of party.”
Trump is reportedly weighing possible replacements for Sessions, with names such as the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and the Texas senator Ted Cruz being floated.
Cruz denied he was being considered for the role, saying in a statement on Monday he was “deeply gratified that we have a principled conservative like Jeff Sessions serving as attorney general”.
Giuliani, a longtime Trump surrogate, told CNN on Monday he did not want the job and would have recused himself from the Russia investigation had he been in Sessions’ position.
Sessions’ troubles are not limited to his increasingly tenuous hold over the position of attorney general.
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Kislyak told superiors he discussed election-related issues with Sessions during the 2016 election. The Post cited anonymous US officials who described intelligence intercepts of Kislyak’s descriptions of his meetings with Sessions, directly undermining Sessions’ assertion under oath that he “did not have any communications with the Russians” or discuss matters pertaining to the campaign.
Responding to the report, Trump did not defend Sessions but did appear to confirm that the Post had seen a genuine piece of intelligence.Responding to the report, Trump did not defend Sessions but did appear to confirm that the Post had seen a genuine piece of intelligence.
“A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post,this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions,” Trump wrote on Saturday. “These illegal leaks, like [former FBI director James] Comey’s, must stop!” “A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post,this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions,” Trump wrote on Saturday. “These illegal leaks, like [the former FBI director James] Comey’s, must stop!”
Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, said on Monday the president was simply being “honest about his feelings. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything”. Still, he said such comments would have repercussions for staff morale. As the saga unfolded, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Kushner arrived at the Capitol for a private appearance before the House intelligence committee, his second meeting with investigators in two days. On Monday, Kushner was interviewed behind closed doors by the Senate intelligence committee. Both panels are overseeing parallel investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the potential involvement of Trump’s associates.
“Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team,” Gingrich said. In rare public remarks, Kushner insisted on Monday that he “did not collude” with Russia during the election and dismissed the significance of a meeting in which he participated that included Donald Trump Jr, the then Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, a Russian lawyer and a former Soviet spy.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, another Trump backer who was linked by press reports to the post of attorney general, told CNN on Monday he did not want the job and would have recused himself if he had been in Sessions’ position. In an 11-page statement released early on Monday, Kushner claimed he had had four contacts with Russian officials during the presidential election and transition but said they were part of his role as a Trump campaign point man for foreign governments.
As the saga unfolded on Monday, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Kushner appeared on Capitol Hill to insist he “did not collude” with Russia during the election, dismissing the significance of a meeting with Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer. On Tuesday morning, Donald Trump tweeted: “Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!”
In an 11-page statement released early on Monday before his appearance in front of the Senate intelligence committee, Kushner claimed he had four contacts with Russian officials during the presidential election and transition but said they were part of his role as a Trump campaign point man for foreign governments.
On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted: “Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!”
Anthony Scaramucci, the president’s new communications director, said it was time for Trump and Sessions to hash out a resolution, regardless of what they decide.
“My own personal opinion, I think they’ve got to have a meeting and have a reconciliation one way or another. You know what I mean? Either stay or go, one way or another,” he said.
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