‘Good job Jeff’: Trump turns on Sessions over Republican indictments

Donald Trump has launched a broadside at his own attorney general Jeff Sessions, after two Republican lawmakers were indicted by the Department of Justice ahead of the crucial November midterm elections.

“Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicised charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions [sic] Justice Department,” Trump tweeted. “Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff...”

“....The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now,” he added.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

While Trump did not name the two Republicans, it is believed he is referring to Duncan Hunter, who has been charged with misuse of campaign funds, and Chris Collins, who has been indicted for insider trading.

“The two men were Trump’s first supporters in the House. Hunter will run for re-election. Collins will step down,” The Guardian says.

Trump’s latest attack on Sessions comes just days after he indicated during an interview with Bloomberg that he is likely to fire the attorney general after the midterm elections.

There is spectulation that removing Sessions could pave the way for Trump to fire deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein and the special counsel, Robert Mueller, whose probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election Trump has described as an “illegal investigation”.