Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions
By PETER BAKER, MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMANJULY 19, 2017
WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Wednesday that he never would have appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions had he known Mr. Sessions would recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigatithat has dogged his presidency, calling the decision “very unfair to the president.”
[Read excerpts of The Times’s interview with President Trump.]
In a remarkable public break with one of his earliest political supporters, Mr. Trump complained that Mr. Sessions’s decision ultimately led to the appointment of a special counsel that should not have happened. “Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else,” Mr. Trump said.
In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, the president also accused James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director he fired in May, of trying to leverage a dossier of compromising material to keep
his job. Mr. Trump criticized both the acting F.B.I. director who has been filling in since Mr. Comey’s dismissal and the deputy attorney general who recommended it. And he took on Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel now leading the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election.
Mr. Trump said Mr. Mueller was running an office rife with conflicts of interest and warned investigators against delving into matters too far afield from Russia. Mr. Trump never said he would order the Justice Department to fire Mr. Mueller, nor would he outline circumstances under which he might do so. But he left open the possibility as he expressed deep grievance over an investigation that has taken a political toll in the six months since he took office.
Asked if Mr. Mueller’s investigation would cross a red line if it expanded to look at his family’s finances beyond any relationship to Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I would say yes.” He would not say what he would do about it. “I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia.”
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This man speaks his mind. So refreshing!I love President Trump more and more every day, and I understand why so many Americans love him too...
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While the interview touched on an array of issues, including health care, foreign affairs and politics, the investigation dominated the conversation. He said that as far as he knew, he was not under investigation himself, despite reports that Mr. Mueller is looking at whether the president obstructed justice by firing Mr. Comey.
“I don’t think we’re under investigation,” he said. “I’m not under investigation. For what? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Describing a newly disclosed informal conversation he had with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia during a dinner of world leaders in Germany this month, Mr. Trump said they talked for about 15 minutes, mostly about “pleasantries.” But Mr. Trump did say that they talked “about adoption.” Mr. Putin banned American adoptions of Russian children in 2012 after the United States enacted sanctions on Russians accused of human rights abuses, an issue that remains a sore point in relations with Moscow.
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![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/07/20/us/politics/00dc-sessions-hfo/merlin-to-scoop-123459320-852737-master675.jpg)
Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in June.CreditEric Thayer for The New York Times
Mr. Trump acknowledged that it was “interesting” that adoptions came up since his son, Donald Trump Jr., said that was the topic of a meeting he had with several Russians with ties to the Kremlin during last year’s campaign. Even though emails show that the session had been set up to pass along incriminating information about Hillary Clinton, the president said he did not need such material from Russia about Mrs. Clinton last year because he already had more than enough.
The interview came as the White House was trying to regain momentum after the collapse of health care legislation even while the president’s son, son-in-law and former campaign chairman were being asked to talk with Senate investigators. Relaxed and engaged, the president sat at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, with only one aide, Hope Hicks, sitting in on the interview. The session was sandwiched between a White House lunch with Republican senators and an event promoting “Made in America” week.
Over the course of 50 minutes, the often-fiery Mr. Trump demonstrated his more amiable side, joking about holding hands with the president of France and musing about having a military parade down a main avenue in Washington. He took satisfaction that unemployment has fallen and stock markets have risen to record highs on his watch.
At one point, his daughter Ivanka arrived at the doorway with her daughter, Arabella, who ran to her grandfather and gave him a kiss. He greeted the 6-year-old girl as “baby,” then urged her to show the reporters her ability to speak Chinese. She obliged.
But Mr. Trump left little doubt during the interview that the Russia investigation remained a sore point. His pique at Mr. Sessions, in particular, seemed fresh even months after the attorney general’s recusal. Mr. Sessions was the first senator to endorse Mr. Trump’s candidacy and was rewarded with a key cabinet slot, but has been more distant from the president lately.
“Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself, which frankly I think is very unfair to the president,” he added. “How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, ‘Thanks, Jeff, but I’m not going to take you.’ It’s extremely unfair — and that’s a mild word — to the president.”
Mr. Trump also faulted Mr. Sessions for his testimony during Senate confirmation hearings when Mr. Sessions said he had not had “communications with the Russians” even though he had met at least twice with Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak. “Jeff Sessions gave some bad answers,” the president said. “He gave some answers that were simple questions and should have been simple answers, but they weren’t.”
A spokesman for Mr. Sessions declined to comment on Wednesday.
The president added a new allegation against Mr. Comey, whose dismissal has become a central issue for critics who said it amounted to an attempt to obstruct the investigation into Russian meddling in the election and any possible collusion with Mr. Trump’s team.
With the pardon of Scooter Libby, wouldn't it be ironic if Trump could get Patrick Fitzgerald as a special prosecutor to go after James Comey for leaking classified information to the media. After all, it was Comey who got Fitzgerald to prosecute Libby.
ReplyDeleteQ says trust the plan.
ReplyDeleteComey gave Trump the presidency reopening Hillary's email investigation right before the election the Deep State chose Trump who was warned by Chuck Schumer he was making a big mistake firing Comey political novice now Trump has a Special Counsel investigating him instead of Hillary.
ReplyDeleteI don't think any advice from "crying Chuck" Schumer to the President is meant to help Trump. Comey only reopened the case after the NYPD found tons of stuff on Huma Abedin's computer, including a lot of dirt on Killary. They were threatening to go public so Comey had no choice. Killary handed Trump the Presidency once she was nominated. She was poison from the very beginning. She was also likely suffering from some illness and collapsed at the 9-11 memorial. The ONLY reason we know that was because some Polish guy was there with his cell phone and sent it out. The Deep State media would never have published that one. Also the dirty meeting between Bubba Bill Clinton and the Attorney General Loretta "the Crook" Lynch would NEVER have been reported on except for a local reporter. Remember when Bill was talking to her for a half hour "about the grandkids" wink wink....all while his wife was under investigation by Lynch pin herself at that very time. Killary was an evil poison that America didn't swallow. And I bet the Deep State (ie Obama) has SOMETHING on Sessions that they are holding him hostage for. Who knows, maybe he diddles little kids, or is gay, or has mistresses, or crooked business dealings or maybe it is a family member they have dirty intel on....Obama ran the country like ANY communist would have. The media ARE the opposition and a truly honest press would have put him and Killary in prison where they belong, LONG ago.
DeleteSessions has been a big fat disappointment since day one. Trump should have fired him the day he said he was recusing himself from the probe.
DeleteLook into Sessions's Asian son-in-law John Walk immigration problem Chinese connection? Just like Supreme Court Justice John Roberts adopting Irish children not allowed under their laws lets see if he votes in favor of DACA?
ReplyDeleteHmm interesting. You might just have put your finger on the reason he seems to have flipped for the most part. Trump has every right to replace the guy and if Sessions really cares about the country he should offer to resign. He has to know that his position to stay on the sidelines regarding this situation puts Trump in a weak position.
DeleteOr, the President is weak because, like Rauner, he came in with all guns blazing, said foolish things without thinking them through, and couldn't work with people.
DeleteThe media loves Trump more than you think. Good for ratings.
Ridiculous. Nice Union talking points. 91% negative coverage according to the liberal left Harvard University. If you think the media likes Trump you are seriously deranged. Trump, unlike Rauner has already gotten over half of his campaign promises fulfilled in a year and a half. He is slicing through these lazy liberals like butter. That is why he insisted on meeting the N Korean detainees when they arrived at 3 AM! He wanted to show the media haters that he has more stamina than them and most are half his age. The media is only covering Russia, Russia, Russia. But that is proving to be false so now it is Stormy Stormy Stormy. VERY little about RECORD low unemployment for all, especially Hispanics and blacks, economic growth averaging DOUBLE what Obummer feebly produced. Millions of Americans seeing tax cuts right into their wallets.
DeleteUnemployment is lower but unfortunately most of those jobs pay less than $20hr. Some 66% of jobs in the US pay less than $20 an hour how are you supposed to raise a family and save for you own retirement 401scam?
DeleteI just googled census bureau and typed in average income of americans and it gave me $55,300 per household - that was for 2016 the latest figures available.
DeleteHey, Union Talking Points Critic, or should I say South Loop Activist: let’s make a deal. If the economy tanks in the next year, you and your boy Trump own it, okay?
DeleteWashington Examiner headline: "Team Trump cuts nearly twice as many regulations as promised". Trump is over delivering. Something the union teaches you NEVER do. "You do it once, then they'll want yous to do it every time". Even Union folk are seeing the benefits of a President who actually wants to see the economy working. A rising tide lifts all boats, especially union boats. Union leftists do not understand that when you have a goose that lays golden eggs. You feed and nourish the goose. You don't kill it and cook it! Free market capitalism works everywhere it is tried. Socialism fails everywhere it is tried. Google Venezuela.
ReplyDeleteI still think a little socialism is good for society like bringing back pensions and paid heath insurance through retirement. There should be free Stroger type hospitals for the uninsured in every county or region not single payer get rid of Obamacare. Someone making $500,000 and $50,000,000 should not pay the same tax rate millionaires and billionaires should pay more.
DeleteWhy do you feel entitled to another persons money?
DeleteShould they not pay the same rate, or not pay the same amount? Most of your income examples pay more total - in one year - than you and your family and probably your entire block of union members pay in their entire lives all added together! But you want their RATE to be higher too? What makes you think you should have the right to other peoples money?
DeleteI don't want to live in a poor county if I were rich I wouldn't mind paying higher taxes so there is no homeless on the streets really upsets me seeing all the veterans. Lets bring back child labor 12hr work days 6 days a week with no overtime no workers comp no job security you right to work anti-union types are insane!
DeleteHey...if you pay ten percent on 60,000 you pay 6,000. If a rich (successful) person earns $6,000,000 per year and he pays ten percent he pays $600,000 in taxes! He pays more in one year to the government than you will pay YOUR entire life. One person paying hundreds of times what you pay...Here is a fact that took two minutes to look up. According to CNBC "Top 1% pay nearly half of all taxes". So 99% of the rest of us pay the other half. Or the top 10% income earners pay 68% or 2/3 of ALL the taxes. Again, just because someone is successful why do you want to punish that person? Why do you want to confiscate HIS money for YOURSELF? That is GREED. "If I were rich I wouldn't mind paying higher taxes". You already would be. If I were rich I wouldn't want to pay MORE I would want to give MORE to charity. The government wastes at least 1/3 of all they collect.
DeleteNo poor person ever gave me a job. Not everyone can work for the government. They tried that in Russia and in....well every country that has ever experienced the punishment of Socialism. It leads to laziness, unproductivity, waste, greed, rationing, and everyone's economic status is equaled out....it gets lower and lower over time. When people rise up eventually they are mowed down in the streets. Venezuela is the most recent example of the failure of socialism. Yes we have a mixed economy with some elements that could be described as socialism. These systems were designed to help the truly down and out - those who CAN'T take care of themselves, children, sick, elderly. It has ballooned into a gimme gimme gimme mentality.
DeleteI remember when my grandfather retired from Illinois Bell in 1984 he had a pension with cost of living allowances and company paid health insurance through retirement what happened? Something is not right when all these companies are making Billions in profits and CEO's making multi-millions none of it going to the workers on the bottom. All of this money in TIF districts lets pause or abolish them for a few years and use that money to bailout pension funds and fix infrastructure?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dupageco.org/HR/Jobs/57310/
ReplyDeleteHere is what they want to do to you in Cook County $12.50hr!
How is this new Booking Officer supposed to raise a family on $12.50hr really in Dupage county too?
https://www.ohio.com/akron/business/breaking-news-business/typical-ceo-makes-164-times-median-pay-of-their-employees
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to offering your workers pensions and company paid health insurance?
http://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-labor-union-plan-wages-fight-income-inequality-2018-5
ReplyDeleteYou cant raise a family on $12.50 an hour. Nor are those jobs designed to support an entire family. they are jobs to get you in the door and then you are supposed to work your way up. Despite your anecdotes the free market always works, always raises living conditions and always beats the Socialized (controlled) economies. You can posture and virtue signal that you are the compassionate one but Venezuela is our most recent example of the continuous failure of Socialism (they were breaking into the zoos to eat the animals and rummaging through garbage for food). socialism is really the OLDEST form of control government. Call it feudalism, call it monarchy, whatever - it is the all knowing government attempting to be the boss and run the lives of hundreds of millions of people from one centralized group. Freedom is the only way to allow individuals to make decisions for themselves as to what is best for them. Socialism inevitably turns into bigger state control with an ever growing list of rules and regulations all designed to "help" (control) people. You can see it germinating in our fair city. Higher fees, more rules, cameras everywhere to catch you (and fine you of course).
ReplyDeleteThis post is supposed to be about Jeff Sessions how did it turn into a debate about pay and working conditions?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI just googled census bureau and typed in average income of americans and it gave me $55,300 per household - that was for 2016 the latest figures available.
5/21/2018
Husband and wife with $12.50hr jobs try living on that kind of pay.