Donald Trump has said he wished he had chosen someone other than Jeff Sessions as his attorney general as details of the pair’s behind-the-scenes clashes emerged.
The New York Times reported that Mr Trump once attempted to make Mr Sessions take back control of the Russia election meddling investigation by reversing a decision to recuse himself.
The US president was said to have made the request in March 2017, shortly after Mr Sessions stepped back from the inquiry because of questions about his own dealings with Russia.
Mr Sessions refused, prompting anger from Mr Trump who reportedly said he wanted loyalty. The Russia investigation continues to hang over his presidency.
The meeting is believed to be a focus for Robert Mueller, the special counsel who took over the Russia probe and is looking into whether Mr Trump committed obstruction of justice.
Chief among Mr Trump’s criticisms was Mr Sessions’s decision to wash his hands of the Russian investigation, which probed alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Mr Sessions recused himself from inquiry after criticism of his conversations with Russia’s ambassador before taking office and how open he had been with Congress.
The decision meant oversight of the Russia investigation passed to Rod Rosenstein, Mr Sessions’s deputy. Mr Rosenstein subsequently set up a special counsel to take up the investigation after Mr Trump sacked then-FBI director James Comey – a decision that considerably escalated the probe.
Mr Sessions has emerged as a key figure in inquiry and is said to have undergone an interview with Mr Mueller’s investigators.
Mr Trump is also wanted for an interview. In leaked list of questions Mr Mueller wants to ask the president, eight of the four dozen or so related to Mr Sessions.
The president has done little to hide his frustration about Mr Sessions. He has reportedly considered sacking Mr Sessions and the pair are said to rarely talk outside of cabinet meetings.
Mr Trump yesterday did nothing to deny the New York Times report on his Twitter feed, instead quoting at length a Republican politician saying it was right the president was “frustrated”.
The quote eventually noted that Mr Trump could have “picked somebody else” other than Mr Sessions as attorney general. The president added: “And I wish I did!
Rep.Trey Gowdy, “I don’t think so, I think what the President is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the President and I picked someone to be the country’s….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
….chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, ‘oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too…and that’s how I read that – Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
….There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!” And I wish I did!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
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