Trump attacks A-G again for failing to go after Clinton

Twitter salvo follows report that he and advisers have discussed replacing Sessions

US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, who has been openly criticised by Mr Trump, has said he has no plans to resign.
US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, who has been openly criticised by Mr Trump, has said he has no plans to resign. PHOTO: NYTIMES

WASHINGTON • US President Donald Trump resumed his attacks on Attorney-General Jeff Sessions yesterday, calling his one-time ally "VERY weak" in pursuing intelligence leaks and for failing to go after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her use of a private e-mail server.

Mr Trump's latest Twitter salvo followed a report in The Washington Post that the President and his advisers have discussed replacing Mr Sessions, one of the Republican billionaire's earliest supporters. Among the names being floated is former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, according to people familiar with the conversations. Mr Giuliani has dismissed such talk.

Mr Trump, in his broadside against Mr Sessions yesterday, tweeted: "Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!"

Mr Trump has openly criticised Mr Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing a federal probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to meddle in the United States presidential election last year.

Mr Sessions has said that he has no plans to resign.

White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said yesterday that a decision would come soon on the fate of Mr Sessions.

"We will come to a resolution soon," he told reporters when asked about the growing tensions between the Republican President and his one-time ally.

With pressure mounting from the investigation led by former Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert Mueller, Mr Trump has sought to revive an election-year controversy over Mrs Clinton's use of a private server to send e-mail while she was secretary of state.

The White House also alleged last week that the Democrats colluded with Ukraine during the 2016 campaign, adding another twist to the President's counter-offensive.

"Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - 'quietly working to boost Clinton.' So where is the investigation A.G.," Mr Trump said in another early morning tweet yesterday.

The Ukrainian embassy in Washington denied the accusation that Ukraine had attempted to sabotage Mr Trump's 2016 campaign.

US presidents normally go to great pains to avoid being seen as influencing investigations, making Mr Trump's attacks on Mr Sessions all the more extraordinary.

Mr Trump has expressed increasing anger with Mr Sessions as his Justice Department's investigations into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump team gathered pace.

Last week, he publicly criticised Mr Sessions for stepping back from issues related to the probe.

Mr Sessions recused himself because of his role on Mr Trump's campaign and because he failed to tell the Senate in his confirmation hearings about contacts he had with the Russian ambassador in Washington.

Mr Trump said he would never have hired Mr Sessions had he known he would recuse himself.

Among the names being floated as Mr Sessions' possible replacements are Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

Mr Giuliani dismissed a report naming him as a possible attorney- general, and told CNN that Mr Sessions "made the right decision under the rules of the Justice Department" to recuse himself.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, WASHINGTON POST

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 26, 2017, with the headline Trump attacks A-G again for failing to go after Clinton. Subscribe