Tipsheet

As Trump Attacks Sessions, Conservatives Are Publicly Defending Him

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  July 25, 2017 1:30 PM

President Trump has made it abundantly clear over the past week he is unhappy with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 

Officials at the White House aren't denying the frustration, which was confirmed by Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders Tuesday morning. 

"That frustration certainly hasn’t gone away, and I don’t think it will,” Sanders told Fox and Friends. 

Newly minted Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci conceded to Salem Radio host Hugh Hewitt that President Trump wants him to go. 

But while the White House digs in to attack Sessions, conservative leaders (many who also supported Trump during the 2016 presidential election) are backing him up and coming to his defense. 

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"General Sessions policies are keeping America safe, just as the President promised the American people his Administration would do.  Under his leadership, the DOJ has followed the law and put in place policies to crack down on illegal immigration and sanctuary cities.   Additionally, General Sessions and the DOJ are coming down hard on violent criminals ravaging our cities, and on gangs that are infiltrating communities across America.  General Sessions is both keeping America safe and helping the President keep his campaign promises; he is a huge asset to this Administration," former Ohio Secretary of State and Trump transition team member Ken Blackwell wrote Tuesday in a Facebook post.   "As someone who has worked with Attorney General Sessions most recently on President Trump's transition team, I cannot speak highly enough about General Sessions credentials and integrity as the nation's top law enforcement officer or about his loyalty to President Trump. General Sessions inherited one of the most partisan, abusive Justice Department's in American history.  In just under eight months, he has redirected the Department into the crime fighting, rule of law first institution it was established to be." 

“Tea Party Patriots and our network of grassroots supporters around the country know that we can count on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stand with us on the issues that matter most. He has been one of the strongest and most consistent allies we have and can think of no better person to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General," Tea Party Patriots President Jenny Beth Martin released in a statement. "Jeff Sessions has stood with Tea Party Patriots against the lawlessness of the Obama Administration when they refused to enforce our immigration laws. We are confident that AG Sessions will continue to uphold the rule of law and ensure all of our laws are enforced."

Sessions' former colleagues are also weighing. 

"I’ve worked with Jeff Sessions for years, and while we certainly may not agree on the specifics of every issue, I believed he would be a great Attorney General because of his unwavering commitment to the rule of law. In the nearly six months he has led the Department of Justice, he has maintained that commitment every day and demonstrated why he was widely respected during his years as a U.S. Senator," Republican Senator Tom Tillis said.  “While some may argue that he should not have recused himself from the Russia investigation, Attorney General Sessions demonstrated good judgment by doing so and removed all appearances of a potential conflict. The Attorney General’s recusal was ultimately made in the best interests of the Department of Justice and the country. Following eight years of organizational and accountability issues plaguing the Department of Justice, Attorney General Sessions’ leadership is needed now more than ever.”

 Family Research Council President Tony Perkins,  National Sheriffs’ Association CEO and Executive Director Jonathan Thompson, NumbersUSA Director of Government Relations Rosemary Jenks and Senator Jim DeMint have also issued a defense of Sessions.

It is unclear whether these statements will have an impact on the President's decision to keep or fire Sessions, who has no public events scheduled for Tuesday.