WASHINGTON DC, Aug 29: Three sources close to the president told the Washington Post that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the head of the Department of Justice, is potentially the next on US President Donald Trump's chopping block amid an administration marred by high-profile outings.
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), a congressional ally of the Attorney General, said that his "sense is the fix is in." Department of Justice and White House officials refused to comment to the Washington Post.
Trump, a former reality TV show host with the catchphrase "you're fired!" is apparently intent on keeping his reputation as the sacker-in-chief. According to the Post, Trump's attorneys say Jeff Sessions' job is safe for now as they have warned him not to fire the AG while Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation into alleged collusion between members of the Trump campaign and the Russian government. But after the midterm elections in November, the president is likely to stir things up again, Senate Republicans fear.
Trump rages at Sessions in New York Times interview
Reports have surfaced of Sessions having drawn Trump's ire since he recused himself from the Mueller probe in March 2017.
As Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) noted, cabinet members "seldom last the entire administration, and this is clearly not an exception." Nonetheless, just a quarter into a potential two-term presidency is a quick turnaround for an Attorney General.
“The president’s entitled to an attorney general he has faith in, somebody that’s qualified for the job, and 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,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has oscillated between praising and criticizing Trump, told reporters on Thursday.
Sessions went to the White House on Thursday amid speculation that Trump may fire him. Trump told "Fox and Friends" in an interview televised on Thursday that "I put in an attorney general that never took control of the Justice Department."
"He took the job and then he said, 'I'm going to recuse myself,'" Trump continued. "I said, 'What kind of man is this?' And by the way, he was on the campaign. The only reason I gave him the job, I felt loyalty. He was an original supporter."
Sessions fired back with a rare response to the President's buffaloing, saying "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." He added: "The actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations."
The following day, Trump tweeted about the AG on three occasions, referring to the roughly 10-year Senator-turned Attorney General by simply his first name, "Jeff."
