Keeping his petty on lock, and upset that Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Tuesday to publicly slam his attorney general in a move that many believe is a strategic play to force Sessions’ into resignation.
Deflecting on his administration’s own collusion with Russia, Trump insisted that Ukraine tried to “boost Clinton” and sabotage his campaign, a claim he wishes his hand-picked AG would investigate.
Aside from the arbitrary claims, Trump’s motives seem clear enough — last week, Trump criticized Sessions in a New York Times interview, saying he would not have picked the former Alabama senator had he known he would recuse himself. Driving home his point of blind commitment from “yes” men around him, Trump also delivered a bizarre and egotistical rant in front Boy Scouts where he stressed the importance of “loyalty.”
Of course the loyalty Trump speaks of comes in the form of elected and law enforcement officials protecting the president at all costs. And Trump’s latest rant against someone he once lauded is just another example of his administration pushing those out who deflect on that blind loyalty. In May, former FBI Director James Comey was fired for his handling of the Russia investigation. Comey contends that Russia indeed interfered with the 2016 presidential election. “There should be no fuzz on this whatsoever. The Russians interfered in our election during the 2016 cycle,” he testified in June during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. “They did it with purpose. They did it with sophistication. They did it with overwhelming technical efforts.”
Trump has also made numerous attempts to smear Special Counsel Robert Mueller. A new attorney general who is not recused from the investigation could help Trump oust Mueller, Think Progress points out.
And in his Twitter rant Tuesday, Trump also took shots at acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, the man who would be responsible for any investigation into Clinton.
But the bullying doesn’t seem to be working, for now. Sessions has publicly stated that he will continue in his role as attorney general as the web of Trump’s administration colluding with Russia grows larger.