Trump attacks Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to investigate Hillary Clinton
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President Trump was up early on Tuesday morning to tweet about his current distaste for Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Infuriated by the ongoing Russia investigations —and possibly seeking a new attorney general — President Trump continued to attack Jeff Sessions on Tuesday for failing to investigate former election opponent Hillary Clinton and officials who have leaked information to news reporters.
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails DNC server) Intel leakers!” Trump said in an early morning tweetstorm.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails DNC server) Intel leakers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
A series of lawmakers and political analysts said it appears that Trump wants to see Sessions leave office, perhaps with an eye toward eventually getting rid of Russia investigation special counsel Robert Mueller.
“Fully transparent: @POTUS wants to force Sessions to resign so he can appoint someone to curb Mueller probe,” tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Noting that a Sessions replacement would face a tough confirmation fight, Schiff added that Trump’s putative plan “only works if Senate lets it.”
Sessions, who has been criticized by Trump for weeks, has so far refused to resign.
During a series of tweets, Trump also criticized his attorney general for not pursuing reports from early this year that officials in Ukraine also sought to interfere in the election, in a tweet that referenced Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign — ‘quietly working to boost Clinton,'” Trump tweeted. “So where is the investigation A.G. @seanhannity.”
After the tweetstorm, when radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt told White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci that it looks like Trump wants Sessions to resign, Scaramucci replied: “You’re probably right.”
The president is still angry with Sessions, one of Trump’s first political supporters in the 2016 presidential race, for recusing himself from the federal investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with Russians who sought to interfere in last year’s election.Â
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Despite days of public criticism, Sessions has said he will not resign his post. Tuesday’s tweetstorm comes one day after Trump described Sessions as “beleaguered.”
It would be highly unusual for an administration to investigate its former opponent in an election. And it’s extremely unusual for the request to come from a sitting president.
Many supporters of former president Barack Obama asked that he investigate the George W. Bush administration over allegations of torture; Obama declined.
The FBI did probe Clinton’s use of private email during years as secretary of State and did not recommend charges. Trump himself said shortly after the election that he would not pursue legal action against Clinton.Â
In urging Sessions to take up an investigation of his political rival, Trump is not only crossing ethical boundaries but ignoring the attorney general’s pledge to the Senate to recuse himself from any matters involving Clinton.
Answering one of the first questions he fielded during his January confirmation hearing, Sessions said he would recuse himself from anything related to former Democratic presidential nominee, saying that his objectivity could be called into question because of his past statements about Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Some political analysts believe Trump is putting the pressure on Sessions because he wants to bring in a new attorney general who can then remove Mueller, who is charge of the Russia investigation.
“This is about getting to Mueller,” tweeted John Weaver, a political consultant who worked for Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.
A number of conservative commentators also took issue with Trump’s attacks on his attorney general.
“What Trump is doing to Sessions must be unprecedented in the history of American government,” tweeted Rich Lowry, editor of National Review magazine.
Trump’s ire did not stop with Sessions, though – he also went after FBI official Andrew McCabe over his wife’s political career; Jill McCabe ran for the Virginia State Senate and received political contributions from Clinton allies. McCabe served as acting FBI director after Trump fired James Comey in May.
In another post, Trump again attacked the Russia investigation while defending his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who denied involvement with Russia after meeting with Senate investigators.
“Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians,” Trump tweeted. “Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!”
Contributing: Kevin Johnson
Jared Kushner did very well yesterday in proving he did not collude with the Russians. Witch Hunt. Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
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