Trump Tells Sessions to ‘Look Into Corruption on the Other Side’

The feud between President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions continued on Friday morning as Trump hit back at Sessions’ Thursday comments where he defended himself against Trump’s attacks.

Trump had criticized Sessions and the Justice Department in a Fox News interview broadcast on Thursday. He went through a long list of complaints about the Justice Department and the FBI, and attacked both of them, although he provided no evidence that they had treated him and his supporters unfairly.

Trump also renewed his criticism of Sessions, blaming him for what he called corruption at Justice. “I put in an attorney general who never took control of the Justice Department,” Trump said.

Sessions, in a rare rebuttal to Trump, defended the integrity of his department in this statement:

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

“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. While I am attorney general, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations. I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action.”

Then Trump on Friday morning said Sessions should “look into all of the corruption on the ‘other side.”

In a series of three tweets he also listed all of the supposed corruption that he wants his attorney general to investigate on his behalf.

“Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants, so look into all of the corruption on the “other side” including deleted Emails, Comey lies & leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr. . .

….FISA abuse, Christopher Steele & his phony and corrupt Dossier, the Clinton Foundation, illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign, Russian collusion by Dems – and so much more. Open up the papers & documents without redaction? Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!”

His third tweet was another cheap shot at Hillary Clinton:

“Ex-NSA contractor to spend 63 months in jail over “classified” information. Gee, this is “small potatoes” compared to what Hillary Clinton did! So unfair Jeff, Double Standard.”

Unsurprisingly, Trump’s list of individuals and entities he wants subject to criminal investigation by the Department of Justice includes mainly his politcal enemies. This shows that he still views the job of the Attorney General as that of a lawyer who serves his personal agenda instead of the country’s.

Trump has been angry with Sessions ever since he recused himself in March 2017 from issues involving the 2016 White House race, such as Russian interference in the election.

The recusal removed Sessions from oversight of the federal special counsel’s investigation. Trump has repeatedly called the investigation a witch hunt.

“Jeff Sessions recused himself, which he shouldn’t have done,” Trump said. “He took the job and then he said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself.’ I said, ‘What kind of a man is this?’”

Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.