Sessions hits back after Trump's attacks, says DOJ won't be 'improperly influenced' by politics

The falling out between President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions is getting increasingly public.

Trump has expressed frustration with Sessions over Twitter and reportedly to White House aides, but he has recently escalated his public comments against the attorney general.

After Trump said "Jeff Sessions never took control of the Justice Department" in a Wednesday interview, Sessions hit back in a statement. "I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in," he said, "which is why we have had unprecedented success at effectuating the president's agenda."

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He also said he wouldn't be swayed by Trump's attacks, reports BuzzFeed News. "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 when they are not met, I take action." Trump has said he is unhappy with Sessions over his decision to recuse himself from the investigation into whether the Trump campaign was involved with Russian election interference in 2016, adding that he only gave Sessions the job in the first place out of "loyalty."

"When everybody sees what's going on in the Justice Department — I always put 'justice' now with quotes — it's a very, very sad day," Trump told Fox & Friends' Ainsley Earhardt. Trump said cooperating with the DOJ "almost ought to be outlawed" if it meant "flipping" on the boss, but Sessions said he is "proud" to work with a "dedicated group of law enforcement investigators." Fox News reports that Sessions released the statement shortly before entering a meeting with Trump at the White House.