Sessions swings back at his boss
Attacked by Trump, U.S. attorney general ‘will not be improperly influenced’
Attorney General Jeff Sessions punched back hard at President Donald Trump’s latest sneering criticism Thursday as their longrunning rift exploded into a public smackdown.
Trump, concerned by the legal downfall of two former advisers, accused Sessions of failing to take control of the Justice Department, leading Sessions to declare he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.”
Trump’s anger with Sessions boiled over in an interview with Fox News in which the president also expressed frustration with the plea agreement his onetime legal “fixer” Michael Cohen cut with prosecutors, including implicating Trump in a crime that Cohen admitted. Trump said it might be better if “flipping” — co-operating with prosecutors in exchange for more favourable treatment — were illegal because people cooperating with the government “just make up lies” to get favourable treatment.
In the wide-ranging interview, Trump also defended himself against talk of impeachment — “the market would crash ... everybody would be very poor” — tried to distance himself from Cohen — “I would see him sometimes” — and said anew he hadn’t known in advance about Cohen’s hush money payments to silence women alleging sexual relationships with the celebrity businessman.
Trump’s latest shots against law enforcement came as he appeared increasingly vulnerable to long-running investigations after this week’s one-two punch of Cohen’s plea deal and the conviction of Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort.
Trump has spent more than a year publicly and privately venting over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the federal Russia-collusion investigation because he’d worked on Trump’s campaign.
Trump, who blames that decision for the eventual appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, told “Fox and Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt that Sessions “never took control of the Justice Department and it’s a sort of an incredible thing.”
“What kind of man is this?” Trump said.
Sessions has made clear to associates he has no intention of leaving his job voluntarily despite Trump’s constant criticism. But his tone in his statement on Thursday made clear he is tired of the president’s attacks.
“I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in, which is why we have had unprecedented success at effectuating the President’s agenda.”
Then he declared, that while he’s attorney general the actions of the department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.”
In awkward schedule timing, Sessions met later Thursday with the president on prison and sentencing reform at the White House. But two people familiar with their meeting said the dispute was not discussed.
Sessions has generally absorbed the Trump’s blows without responding, though he has occasionally pushed back. In February, after Trump complained that Sessions’ response to Republican complaints about the FBI was “disgraceful,” the attorney general said in statement he would “continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honour” and the department would “continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner.”
Allies, including Republican members of Congress have long advised Trump that firing Sessions — especially before the upcoming midterm elections — would be deeply damaging to the party.
But Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who in March said firing Sessions would “blow up” the Judiciary Committee, has been shifting his tone.
“I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice,” he told reporters on Thursday.