Report: Trump asked Sessions to rescind his recusal from Russia probe

Jeff Sessions.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

During a dinner in Florida in March 2017, President Trump told Attorney General Jeff Sessions he needed to reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, The New York Times reports.

Sessions flew to Florida a few days after announcing his recusal because Trump wouldn't take his calls and he had to talk with him about his travel ban, current and former administration officials told the Times. Trump berated Sessions during their dinner, demanded his loyalty, and told him to change his mind about the recusal, but Sessions said he was sticking to his decision. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating this incident as part of his probe into whether Trump tried to obstruct justice, the Times reports, and Mueller's team has interviewed several current and former White House officials about how Sessions was treated by Trump. Sessions himself was interviewed in January.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.