Top Trump Man Twists in the Wind
US President Donald Trump and his advisers are privately discussing the possibility of replacing Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, and some confidants are floating prospects who could take his place were he to resign or be fired, according to people familiar with the talks. Members of Mr Trump’s circle, including White House officials, have increasingly raised the question among themselves in recent days as the president has continued to vent his frustration with the A-G, the people said.
Replacing Mr Sessions is seen by some Trump associates as potentially being part of a strategy to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller and end his investigation into whether the Mr Trump campaign co-ordinated with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly. The President took another swipe at Mr Sessions on Monday, calling his A-G “our beleaguered A-G.” and asking why Sessions was not “looking into Crooked Hillary’s crimes and Russia relations?”. Both points are notable.
Mr Sessions was once considered one of Trump’s closest advisers and enjoyed access few others had. Now he is left to endure regular public criticism by his boss. Mr Trump’s suggestion, too, that his top law enforcement official investigate a former political rival is astounding, and even his allies have said in the past that such a move would be unheard of in the US. Mr Trump, after the election, had backed away from the idea of possibly prosecuting Hillary Clinton. Mr Sessions has seen his tight relationship with Trump and the White House unravel since he recused himself in March from the Russia probe. The President had privately complained about that decision for weeks, and in an interview with the New York Times last week he said he would not have appointed Mr Sessions as A-G had he known in advance of the recusal.
After Mr Sessions recused himself, he passed on the responsibility to Deputy A-G Rod Rosenstein, who then appointed Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia probe. Mr Trump could order Rosenstein and then Associate A-G Rachel Brand - to fire Mueller. If they quit instead of doing so, he could appoint an acting A-G who would.