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| Trump expresses regret over picking Sessions as attorney general | Trump expresses regret over picking Sessions as attorney general |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Donald Trump expressed his regrets on Wednesday that he picked Jeff Sessions to be attorney general. | Donald Trump expressed his regrets on Wednesday that he picked Jeff Sessions to be attorney general. |
| Reinvigorating his habitual public attacks since Sessions recused himself from the Russia inquiry early in the administration, Trump on Wednesday morning tweeted a quote from Trey Gowdy, the Republican congressman, questioning the attorney general’s position. | Reinvigorating his habitual public attacks since Sessions recused himself from the Russia inquiry early in the administration, Trump on Wednesday morning tweeted a quote from Trey Gowdy, the Republican congressman, questioning the attorney general’s position. |
| But significantly, Trump was silent about the television appearances of Gowdy, a key Republican, on Fox and CBS, where he was vocal in defending the FBI’s decision to use an informant to assist in the earliest stages of the investigation into ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives. | But significantly, Trump was silent about the television appearances of Gowdy, a key Republican, on Fox and CBS, where he was vocal in defending the FBI’s decision to use an informant to assist in the earliest stages of the investigation into ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives. |
| When asked about Trump’s repeated frustration over Sessions’s recusal from the Russia investigation and his reported attempt to have Sessions reverse that decision, Gowdy said: “I think what the president is doing is expressing frustration that attorney general Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the president and I picked someone to be the country’s chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, ‘Oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too ... and that’s how I read that.” | When asked about Trump’s repeated frustration over Sessions’s recusal from the Russia investigation and his reported attempt to have Sessions reverse that decision, Gowdy said: “I think what the president is doing is expressing frustration that attorney general Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the president and I picked someone to be the country’s chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, ‘Oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too ... and that’s how I read that.” |
| Trump tweeted that quote as part of a three-tweet train of thought that supported Gowdy’s interpretation of the president’s exasperation with Sessions’ recusal. He then repeated Gowdy’s apparent telepathy of the president’s inner voice saying: “Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you.....There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!” alongside which Trump further posted: “And I wish I did!” | Trump tweeted that quote as part of a three-tweet train of thought that supported Gowdy’s interpretation of the president’s exasperation with Sessions’ recusal. He then repeated Gowdy’s apparent telepathy of the president’s inner voice saying: “Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you.....There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!” alongside which Trump further posted: “And I wish I did!” |
| Hours later, however, Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani told the press that he had repeatedly advised the president not to fire Sessions – and that he believed Trump would follow his counsel. | |
| “There’s no doubt he’s complained about him, there’s no doubt he has some grievances,” Giuliani told Politico. “He’s not going to fire him before this is over … Nor do I think he should.” | |
| The former New York City mayor went on to describe Trump’s feelings toward his attorney general: “You get angry and the day after you remember all the good things the person did for you. He goes back and forth on Jeff. On immigration, Jeff’s done a good job.” | |
| The latest in the feud between Trump and Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump’s campaign bid and was a trusted surrogate, came as Gowdy did a media blitz to defend federal law enforcement’s conduct of the Russia investigation – with no comment coming from Trump on that aspect of the debate. | The latest in the feud between Trump and Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump’s campaign bid and was a trusted surrogate, came as Gowdy did a media blitz to defend federal law enforcement’s conduct of the Russia investigation – with no comment coming from Trump on that aspect of the debate. |
| Gowdy, the South Carolina congressman and chairman of the House oversight committee, was one of the Republicans who attended a classified Department of Justice (DoJ) meeting last week to view documents relating to the use of the confidential source. | Gowdy, the South Carolina congressman and chairman of the House oversight committee, was one of the Republicans who attended a classified Department of Justice (DoJ) meeting last week to view documents relating to the use of the confidential source. |
| On Fox News on Tuesday, Gowdy, who is not running for re-election, said the law enforcement agency’s decision was justified, and defended it against the furious attacks from Trump about the FBI and DoJ’s political neutrality. Trump has called the investigation into Russian links a “witch-hunt”. | On Fox News on Tuesday, Gowdy, who is not running for re-election, said the law enforcement agency’s decision was justified, and defended it against the furious attacks from Trump about the FBI and DoJ’s political neutrality. Trump has called the investigation into Russian links a “witch-hunt”. |
| Special counsel Robert Mueller began his inquiry into Russian meddling and possible collusion just over a year ago, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Comey documented conversations with Trump in the weeks leading up to his dismissal in a series of memos. | Special counsel Robert Mueller began his inquiry into Russian meddling and possible collusion just over a year ago, after Trump fired FBI director James Comey. Comey documented conversations with Trump in the weeks leading up to his dismissal in a series of memos. |
| But the FBI was looking into allegations of improper ties between the Trump campaign and Russia early in the race for the White House. | But the FBI was looking into allegations of improper ties between the Trump campaign and Russia early in the race for the White House. |
| Gowdy told the Fox host Martha MacCallum on Tuesday: “President Trump himself in the Comey memos said if anyone connected with my campaign was working with Russia, I want you to investigate it, and it sounds to me like that is exactly what the FBI did. I think when the president finds out what happened, he is going to be not just fine, he is going to be glad that we have an FBI that took seriously what they heard.” | Gowdy told the Fox host Martha MacCallum on Tuesday: “President Trump himself in the Comey memos said if anyone connected with my campaign was working with Russia, I want you to investigate it, and it sounds to me like that is exactly what the FBI did. I think when the president finds out what happened, he is going to be not just fine, he is going to be glad that we have an FBI that took seriously what they heard.” |
| “I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, and that it has nothing to do with Donald Trump,” Gowdy said. Asked about the president’s tweets on the subject, he added that such statements could be subject to questioning by Mueller. | “I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, and that it has nothing to do with Donald Trump,” Gowdy said. Asked about the president’s tweets on the subject, he added that such statements could be subject to questioning by Mueller. |
| “If I were his lawyer, and I never will be, I would tell him to rely on his lawyers and his [communications] folks,” Gowdy said of Trump. | “If I were his lawyer, and I never will be, I would tell him to rely on his lawyers and his [communications] folks,” Gowdy said of Trump. |
| Reports earlier this month indicated that an FBI informant was in contact with several Trump campaign officials in 2016. Trump swiftly seized on the news to claim, without evidence, that the FBI had planted a spy within his campaign, and demanded that the DoJ investigate the matter. | Reports earlier this month indicated that an FBI informant was in contact with several Trump campaign officials in 2016. Trump swiftly seized on the news to claim, without evidence, that the FBI had planted a spy within his campaign, and demanded that the DoJ investigate the matter. |
| The row over the informant, the former University of Cambridge professor Stefan Halper, led to a classified meeting last week between top lawmakers and intelligence officials. | The row over the informant, the former University of Cambridge professor Stefan Halper, led to a classified meeting last week between top lawmakers and intelligence officials. |
| Giuliani admitted at the weekend that Trump’s attempt to portray the use of an informant as a scandal, which he branded as “spygate” was a public relations tactic. | |
| At a rally in Nashville on Tuesday night, Trump again brought up the FBI’s actions, insisting that his campaign had been “infiltrated” by his political opponents. | At a rally in Nashville on Tuesday night, Trump again brought up the FBI’s actions, insisting that his campaign had been “infiltrated” by his political opponents. |
| Julia Carrie Wong contributed reporting | |
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