Betraying his concern about the Trump-Russia inquiry, Donald Trump renews his attack on Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
In the middle of a weekend tweet also slamming the Justice Department and the “rigged” investigation, Trump aimed at Sessions:
….Do you believe Nelly worked for Fusion and her husband STILL WORKS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF “JUSTICE.” I have never seen anything so Rigged in my life. Our A.G. is scared stiff and Missing in Action. It is all starting to be revealed – not pretty. IG Report soon? Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2018
Trump’s ongoing anger stems from Sessions’ recusal from oversight of the inquiry in March 2017. The Attorney General had to step aside because of contacts during 2016, when Sessions was a senior Trump campaign advisor, with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak — contacts which he did not reveal at Senate confirmation hearings.
The recusal means that the power to dismiss Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as the investigation draws closer to Trump, lies with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
On August 1, Trump used Twitter to call on Sessions to fire Mueller:
..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018
The Attorney General offered no response, leaving Trump to fume during his 11-day vacation at his New Jersey golf resort as more revelations — notably that Trump may have known in advance about a June 2016 meeting between his top advisors and three Kremlin-linked envoys — emerged.
See also TrumpWatch, Day 564: Trump’s Lawyers Reject Interview with Mueller Over Obstruction of Justice
TrumpWatch, Day 563: Trump — Unwittingly — Admits Lying Over June 2016 Meeting with Russians
Trump has previously derided Sessions as “beleaguered,” very weak” and “disgraceful” and called him “Mr. Magoo”, after the very nearsighted cartoon character of the 1950s and 1960s.
But Trump has balked at firing the Attorney General, and Sessions has stayed in his post despite the insults.
