White House staff are now hiding Jeff Sessions from Trump


President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have learned the hard way that breakups are rough.
Ever since Sessions recused himself from overseeing the investigation into whether Trump's campaign was involved with Russian interference in the 2016 election, things have been awkward. Trump is publicly criticizing him for letting the investigation drag on, while Sessions obliquely sucks up to his boss with thinly-veiled attempts to stay on the #MAGA train.
Despite Sessions' best effort to stay out of Trump's voluminous hair, the two can't avoid each other at Cabinet meetings — but they can try. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that White House staffers seat Sessions strategically during meetings, hoping to keep him out of Trump's line of sight.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The attorney general rarely speaks directly with Trump, sources told the Journal. Trump sees Sessions as "the catalyst" for all the headaches the Russia investigation has created for the administration, an official said. Perhaps officially severing his previously strong ties with Sessions, it appears Trump has a new BFF in the Justice Department: He has begun embracing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, calling their relationship "fantastic."
Sessions might benefit from a lesson from former FBI Director James Comey, who once hid in the Oval Office curtains to avoid Trump — once the president starts angrily tweeting about you, it's all over.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Sudoku medium: May 14, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members