Trump slams Jeff Sessions for indictments of 2 House GOP allies, endangering '2 easy wins'

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

On Monday afternoon, President Trump once again criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter, but this time it wasn't for recusing himself in the Russia investigation. In this case, Trump took aim at "Jeff" and "the Jeff Sessions Justice Department" for filing charges against "two very popular Republican congressmen," presumably Reps. Chris Collins (N.Y.) and Duncan Hunter (Calif.), and endangering "two easy wins" in November. Collins and Hunter were two of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump.

Aside from being wrong on the timing — the Collins investigation started during Trump's tenure and the Hunter investigation began in June 2016 — Trump is clearly suggesting that the Justice Department should protect him and the Republican Party's congressional majority, not prosecute crime impartially. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was one of the few Republicans to interrupt their Labor Day to comment on Trump's tweet, insisting that "the United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice — one for the majority party and one for the minority party."

Lawfare editor in chief Benjamin Wittes saw Trump's tweet as clear proof that for Trump, "the job of the Justice Department in his view is to protect his friends and punish his enemies," while Ken "Popehat" White suggested "it is 100 percent outside his comprehension why this is bad." You can watch more reactions, plus some additional context, on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 below. Peter Weber

The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.