Annotating to clarify a Trump interview

Dear Editor,

Re “Trump rips Sessions: ‘I don’t have an attorney general,” Sept. 19, 2018: Explaining in a television interview ostensibly how Sessions got the job, President Donald Trump said that he’s “so sad over Jeff Sessions” and “He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn’t see it,” Trump said in the Oval Office interview. “And then he went through the nominating process and he did very poorly. I mean, he was mixed up and confused, and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers. Answers that should have been easily answered.”

That is how it was in the Associated Press story — Trump was acting as if he had no say in the matter.

This is how the AP should have stated it: “He was the first senator that endorsed me. (That is not enough reason to nominate someone.)

“And he wanted to be attorney general, (Still not any reason to nominate someone.) and I didn’t see it. (Well then why did Trump nominate him? BTW we didn’t see it either.)

“And then he went through the nominating process (Because Trump nominated him.) and he did very poorly. I mean, he was mixed up and confused, (That should have been Trump’s signal to withdraw his name.) and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers. Answers that should have been easily answered.” (If Trump knew all of this and still put him up as his nominee and never withdrew it, how is Trump qualified to nominate justices to the Supreme Court or anything else?)

Lee Augustine

Wawarsing, N.Y.