President Trump commented to reporters Thursday on his relationship with Attorney General Jeff Sessions in light of his past criticisms over Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation. Trump said their relationship was “fine” and offered some praise for Sessions work on the border.
When asked by a reporter during an inpromptu press conference following a national security briefing in Bedminster, New Jersey, how he would categorize his relationship with Sessions and if they’d spoken about their differences he replied, "It is what it is. It's fine."
"He's working hard on the border. I'm very proud of what we've done at the border," Trump added.
Trump told The New York Times in July that had he known Sessions was going to recuse himself from the Russia investigation he wouldn’t have hired him. He called the recusal "very unfair to the president."
Trump also tweeted criticism of Sessions saying he was not doing an aggressive enough job of going after leakers in the White House or investigating Hillary Clinton’s alleged crimes.
Sessions later commented that the remarks were “hurtful” but that he planned to continue doing his job as Attorney General.
Trump also told reporters Thursday that he had not talked to the FBI or Sessions about the pre-dawn raid on the home of his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. He said he was "surprised" to see it and that it was "pretty tough stuff." He said he's known Manafort a long time and while he hasn't spoken to him in a while he has "always known him to be a good man."
Trump also told the press that he was not dismissing Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is heading the probe into Russian meddling in the election.
"We have a situation thats very unusual. There was no collusion between us and Russia. In fact, the opposite. Russia spent a lot of money on fighting me," he said. "We have an investigation of something that never took place. And all I say is work with them, because this is an event that never took place."
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