President Donald Trump has come under criticism for undermining his Attorney General Jeff Sessions and for his entire handling of the probe into alleged connections between his campaign and Russia. Some have been expecting the President to cool his rhetoric ahead of the 2018 midterms. Turns out, President Trump is going into the midterms swinging. Speaking to Hill.TV, Trump claimed: “I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad.”
The comment is in reference to Sessions recusal from the ongoing investigation into whether the Trump administration collaborated with the Russian government to win the 2016 election. President Trump has repeatedly and emphatically denied any collusion.
At this point, Jeff Sessions is highly unlikely to last after the upcoming midterm elections. While Sessions was originally among Trump’s earliest supporters, he’s since fallen out of grace with the President. Indeed, the Attorney General seems to be near the top of Trump’s enemy list, up their with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Clinton Lashes Out
Speaking of Clinton, the would-be president has been trying to rally Democratic voters ahead of the 2018 midterms. Many analysts believe that Democrats are in striking distance of taking over both the House and the Senate. Hillary Clinton has warned that if Trump is “left unchecked,” he could engage in wholesale firing after the midterms.
Sessions is almost certainly gone already, but according to Clinton, Trump might try to clean house if he retains majorities and/or isn’t put in check by Democrats. She also lashed out at Trump for what she views as authoritarian tendencies. Speaking on the Rachel Maddow Show, she noted: “Authoritarian tendencies that we have seen at work in this administration with this President, left unchecked, could very well result in the erosion of our institutions to an extent that we’ve never imagined possible here.”
Trump Regrets Not Firing Comey Sooner
If President Trump has proven anything, it’s that he’s willing to double down and then some. Talking to Hill.TV, President Trump said he didn’t regret firing Comey—his only mistake was not firing him sooner. FBI directors are normally given 10-year terms and Comey was less than halfway through his term. While Presidents can remove FBI directors, it’s rare for them to do so.
Trump’s firing of Comey only increased backlash when the President cited the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s alleged ties to his campaign as one of the justifications. Speaking to NBC News shortly after the firing, Trump said: “And, in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said: ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should’ve won.'”
Officially, Trump cited other work- and duty-related aspects when firing Comey. While the President would later backtrack on the above statement, the damage had already been done. Comey, meanwhile, has emerged as a frequent Trump critic.
Ironically, many have accused Comey himself of interfering with the 2016 election. His decision to reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails at the 11th hour raised eyebrows. Normally, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies take care not to engage in any activities that might influence the outcome of an election.
