Sessions says he would be ‘fair’ as US attorney general and defy Trump
● ‘I will be a strong protector of law and order’ senator tells hearing
0 Jeff Sessions told senators ‘the office of the attorney general of the US is not a political position’ despite attending post election celebrations with Donald Trump Senator Jeff Sessions cast himself as a strong protector of law and order at his confirmation hearing yesterday, promising that as US attorney general he would crack down on illegal immigration, gun violence and the “scourge of radical Islamic terrorism”.
Sessions, echoing rhetoric used on the campaign trail by president-elect Donald Trump, warned of a country struggling to combat illegal drugs flooding across the border, spikes in violent crime in American cities and low morale among police.
“These trends cannot continue. It is a fundamental civil right to be safe in your home and your community,” the Alabama Republican said in laying out conservative priorities for the justice department at the opening of his Senate hearing. Politics got its share of attention, too, with Mr Sessions promising to recuse himself from any investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton, because of comments he’d made during the campaign. Mr Trump said previously he would name a special prosecutor to look into Mrs Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server, but has since backed away. The FBI and Justice department declined to bring charges last year.
Mr Sessions has support from the Senate’s Republican majority, but faces a challenge persuading sceptical Democrats that he’ll be fair and committed to civil rights as the country’s top law enforcement official. Senator Dianne Feinstein hinted at those concerns, saying “there is so much fear in this country”.
Mr Sessions, whose 1986 judicial nomination was derailed by allegations of racially charged comments, sought to confront that concern by saying he “understandsthehistoryof civil rights and the horrendous impact that relentless and systemic discrimination and the denial of voting rights has had on our African-american brothers and sisters.
“The office of the attorney general of the US is not a political position, and anyone who holds it must have fidelity to the laws and the Constitution of the United States,” he said.
At points, anti-sessions protesters disrupted the hearing. They were escorted out. He began his presentation by joking about Alabama football and making self-deprecating remarks about his strong Southern accent. He was asked by committee chairman Chuck Grassley if he could stand up to Mr Trump. Yes, he said, adding he would be prepared to resign if asked to do something “plainly unlawful.”