Alabama Congressmen to Jeff Sessions: protect American election integrity
Alabama 5th District U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks was joined by 22 of his House colleagues on Tuesday, including Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne and 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging him to devote more resources to protect American election integrity from foreigners who illegally interfere in American elections by illegally voting in them. “Every single illegal vote by a foreigner in American elections dilutes and cancels the votes of American citizens and rightful voters!” exclaimed Brooks. “All Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, should agree that foreigners should not be influencing U.S. elections. Unfortunately, too many partisans single out Russian involvement in America’s 2016 election (even though there is no evidence the Russians successfully tricked a single voter into casting a bad vote) while turning a blind eye to the greatest provable foreign influence on American elections: illegal foreigner voting.” According to research by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, 3,120 foreigners were registered to vote and/or removed between 2006 and 2018 in just 13 sanctuary jurisdictions. Meanwhile, there are thousands of voting jurisdictions across the country. “My colleagues and I strongly urge Attorney General Sessions to devote the necessary resources to investigate and prosecute voting fraud by foreigners. After all, we are the United States, not the United Nations,” Brooks continued. The letter specifically asks Sessions to “thoroughly investigate all instances of forge in nationals, visa holders, refugees, and other noncitizen that are either included in voter databases or have been found to cast ballots in any election and prosecute those violations fully.” Click HERE for a PDF of the letter. Letter signers are: Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) Congressman Lou Barletta (PA-11) Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) Congressman Dave Brat (VA-07) Congressman Paul Cook (CA-08) Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-08) Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03) Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) Congressman Louie Gohmert (TX-01) Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-04) Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) Congressman Walter Jones (NC-03) Congressman Tom McClintock (CA-04) Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05) Congressman Scott Perry (PA-04) Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21) Congressman Daniel Webster (FL-11) Congressman Ted Yoho (FL-03)
Alabama editorial roundup: Oct. 4, 2018 edition
Recent editorials from Alabama newspapers: ___ Sept. 28 The Cullman Times on upcoming elections for state offices: The long political year in Alabama will come to a conclusion when voters go to the polls Nov. 6. … And everyone should be interested in the major state offices on the ballot. The governor’s race, with Republican Kay Ivey as the incumbent against Democrat Walt Maddox, who has served as Tuscaloosa mayor, features two candidates who bring different messages to the campaign. Ivey is running on her long years of services in various state offices and Alabama’s solid run of job growth. Maddox’s reputation became known across the state as he effectively led Tuscaloosa through the tragedy and rebuilding from a destructive tornado in 2011. He is challenging certain aspects of Ivey’s campaign, saying that education, health care, and the wages workers are paid all need improving. The themes of this race with a seasoned politician facing a new, young candidate give Alabamians plenty to consider on election day. Offices such as secretary of state, attorney general, chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and two Public Service Commission seats all carry importance for citizens across the state. But to make a difference, every eligible voter needs to be registered and then go to the polls. A record number of Alabamians have been registered to vote in recent years, but often the turnout is thin. For those who are looking to the future, there is still plenty of time to register to vote. The deadline is Oct. 22. Requesting an absentee ballot is open until Nov. 1. Alabama has many crucial issues awaiting the next group of officeholders. Workforce training, better paying jobs, Medicaid expansion, access to health care, internet service for rural areas, and improving roads are among some of the topics that need to be addressed. Candidates will have plenty to say between now and Nov. 1. A lot of them will be making stops in this community and points across the state. Take the time to listen and ask questions when the opportunity arises. Alabama will reach its potential when citizens speak up. And the first step to be being heard is to vote. Online: https://www.cullmantimes.com/ ___ Sept. 27 Decatur Daily on national violent crime rates: Having spent the past year and a half claiming America was in the midst of a rising tide of crime, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has suddenly changed his forecast. According to FBI statistics, both violent crimes and property crimes decreased slightly nationwide last year, after two years of slight increases. At the time of the slight upticks in crime in 2015 and 2016, informed observers cautioned there was no cause yet for alarm because they might be simply statistical blips and crime levels nationwide remained close to 30-year lows. Others, however, including some hoping to stifle bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts in Congress and in many states, seized upon the uptick as evidence being “soft on crime” was resulting in more crime. They pointed in particular to increased violent crime in Baltimore and Chicago, while ignoring New York City, which continued to see declines in crime rates even as the police there were ordered to abandon their controversial “stop and frisk” policy. Honest observers recanted their doom-and-gloom predictions about New York. As National Review’s Kyle Smith wrote, “The statistics are clear: Crime is lower than ever. It’s possible that crime would be even lower had stop-and-frisk been retained, but that’s moving the goal posts. I and others argued that crime would rise. Instead, it fell. We were wrong.” Now crime has again ticked downward nationwide, and just as the two years of slight increases were no cause for alarm, one downward year doesn’t guarantee everything is all blue skies and sunshine ahead. It does mean, however, that the 30-year trend of historically low rates of violent crime still holds, and it’s the long-run trends, the ones that reveal patterns and smooth out statistical bumps in the road, that are important. And being at a 30-year low is cause for some celebration. Moreover, crime in the nation’s 30 largest cities is down, according to an analysis of the FBI data conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, which found “that across the cities where data is available, the overall murder and crime rates are projected to decline in 2018, continuing similar decreases from the previous year.” The Brennan Center analysis continues: “Especially sharp declines appear in San Francisco (-35.0 percent), Chicago (-23.2 percent), and Baltimore (-20.9 percent). These estimates are based on preliminary data, but if they hold, the number of murders in Chicago could fall by year’s end to the lowest since 2015. In Baltimore, homicides could drop to the lowest since 2014. While the city’s murder rate remains high, this would mark a significant reversal of the past two years’ increases.” Sessions was quick to take credit. “And I am announcing today the FBI will release its annual Uniform Crime Report, which will show that violent crime and murder have stopped rising and actually declined in 2017,” Sessions said in a speech to law enforcement in Alabama. “. Those are the kind of results you get when you support law enforcement. Those are the kind of results we get when we work together.” By work together, however, Sessions means ending federal oversight of local police departments that have violated the civil rights of the people they’re supposed to protect. Ames Grawert, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, told Reason.com it was “galling to see” Sessions cite national crime data to support his position on policing: “Ascribing credit of any crime increase or decrease to a single year and a half of federal policy is just beyond belief, but here we are.” Sessions first exaggerated the scope of the problem and now is exaggerating the supposed effects of his policy changes, all in an effort to derail criminal justice reform. “The reality is, data-driven prison and sentencing reforms, like those
Jeff Session tells law enforcement: ‘We have your back’
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday praised President Donald Trump as a “law and order” president and told a gathering of law enforcement officials that they have support from the White House and the Justice Department. In a visit to his home state of Alabama to speak at the department’s National Public Safety Partnership Symposium, Sessions praised the program’s partnership between the federal government and communities to help fight violent crime. “Each one of you can be certain about this: we have your back and you have our thanks,” Sessions said. Sessions touted the efforts of the Justice Department to fight violent crime and “back the blue.” He said Trump took office with a mission to restore public safety, and said it is a switch from those that “saw police as the problem in America.” “Make no mistake about it President Trump is a law and order president,” Sessions said. Sessions said new FBI crime statistics being released Monday will show that violent crime and murder declined in 2017. The former Alabama senator spent the weekend in his home state. He did not mention Trump’s recent criticism of him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation or the controversy surrounding Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and reports that Rosenstein might have suggested secretly recording Trump. Sessions joked that he appreciated the warm welcome after receiving loud applause as he walked on stage at the law enforcement gathering. “It’ll make my day. … Who knows? I may need this today. Going back to Washington you never know what is going to happen next in the capital city that’s for sure.” Sessions announced new grants for ballistic technology and improved investigative practices through Crime Gun Intelligence Centers for Indianapolis, Memphis, Baton Rouge and Tulsa. He also announced grants for technology improvements for Houston, Memphis and Toledo. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump rips Jeff Sessions: ‘I don’t have an attorney general’
President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying, “I don’t have an attorney general.” Trump, in a Hill.TV interview released on Wednesday, said that he’s “so sad over Jeff Sessions,” whom he has repeatedly denounced for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. “He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn’t see it,” Trump said in the Oval office interview. “And then he went through the nominating process and he did very poorly. I mean, he was mixed up and confused, and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers. Answers that should have been easily answered.” The president softened his stance slightly when talking to reporters on the White House lawn hours after the interview’s publication, saying, “I’m disappointed in the attorney general for numerous reasons, but we have an attorney general.” Trump has repeatedly asserted that Sessions, a former U.S. senator from Alabama, did not need to step away from the Russia probe, a move the president believes in part led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russians. Trump, a Republican, suggested that Sessions’ rocky Senate confirmation hearings may have impacted his performance as attorney general. “He gets in and probably because of the experience that he had going through the nominating when somebody asked him the first question about Hillary Clinton or something he said, ‘I recuse myself, I recuse myself,’” Trump said. Department of Justice guidelines recommended the attorney general step away because of his own contacts with foreign government officials during his time with the 2016 Trump campaign. Sessions told Congress that his decision was not due to any wrongdoing. Trump also broadened his attacks beyond the recusal, saying he’s unhappy with Sessions’ performance on several issues. “I’m not happy at the border. I’m not happy with numerous things, not just this,” Trump said in the interview. Trump has repeatedly complained publicly and privately about Sessions, pushing him to curtail the Mueller probe, urging him to investigate Clinton and suggesting he should drop investigations into Republican congressmen until after the November midterm elections. He also said that he does not feel as though Sessions supports him like former attorneys general Eric Holder and Bobby Kennedy backed Presidents Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy, respectively. Trump has repeatedly considered firing Sessions, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, only to be opposed by aides who think a dismissal would upend the Russia investigation, conservatives who applaud Sessions’ hardline stances at the Department of Justice and Republican senators who have said they would not confirm a replacement. But there have been cracks in that blockade of late. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who once fought for Sessions, recently said that the president was “entitled to having an attorney general he has faith in” while other Trump allies have suggested that a move could be made after the midterms. Sessions recently punched back against Trump, saying he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” And Sessions has made clear to associates that he has no intention of leaving his job voluntarily despite Trump’s constant criticism. Trump said in the interview that “we’ll see what happens” with Sessions’ future. “We’ll see how it goes with Jeff,” Trump continued. “I’m very disappointed in Jeff. Very disappointed.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
GOP Sen. Flake: Donald Trump is ‘slandering’ his attorney general
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is condemning President Donald Trump’s attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, calling them a “travesty.” Flake, a vocal Trump critic, said Wednesday from the Senate floor that Trump has been “relentlessly slandering” Sessions. He warned that Trump seems headed for “some future assault” on the justice system, perhaps by firing Sessions or special counsel Robert Mueller. He urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a vote on legislation to protect Mueller’s investigation. Trump in a recent tweet suggested that Sessions should not have brought criminal charges against two Republican congressmen. He said “two easy wins” in the election were “now in doubt.” Flake says Congress has “the responsibility to curb such reckless behavior” from Trump and appealed to lawmakers to speak out. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne ‘seriously considering’ challenging Doug Jones in 2020 Senate run
Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne confirmed on Wednesday he is “actively looking” at a 2020 U.S. Senate bid against Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones. Byrne has been mulling the possibility since July, but confirmed in an interview with WPMI that he is seriously considering the matter. “I know Senator Doug Jones, I have nothing personal bad to say about him, I like him personally and admire his work as a prosecutor,” Byrne said in the interview according to C2C Sinclair on Twitter. “I don’t think his political philosophy lines up with the average person in Alabama.” .@RepByrne on possible 2020 Senate run: “I know @SenDougJones, I have nothing personal bad to say about him, I like him personally and admire his work as a prosecutor. I don’t think his political philosophy lines up with the average person in Alabama” @mynbc15 pic.twitter.com/mj78dABSOw — C2C Sinclair (@SBGC2C) September 5, 2018 “I love what I’m doing, I’m not unhappy being in the house,” Byrne continued. “But we in Alabama have become accustom to having very strong U.S. Senators; going back decades. And we’re very fortunate to Senator Shelby right now. I just don’t think, and I don’t mean this in any way personal, I don’t think Senator Jones fits into that mold. And I need someone who fits into that mold in the Senate to be a partner with me along with Senator Shelby and if there’s not anybody else to do it…then yes I’m happy to do it.” Jones beat out former Chief Justice Roy Moore in the December 2017 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Since then, he’s caused a few controversies within the Alabama Legislature, to the point that the Alabama State Senate passed a resolution condemning his January vote against legislation banning late term abortions. Byrne himself is a conservative through and through. He was awarded the ACUF’s Award for Conservative Excellence based on his 92.15 percent conservative voting record and successfully led an effort in Washington in June to express opposition to housing up to 10,000 illegal immigrants at Naval Outlying Field Silverhill and Naval Outlying Field Wolf in south Baldwin County.
Mike Pence breaks from Donald Trump: ‘I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard’
Vice President Mike Pence praised Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday, breaking away from President Donald Trump who has criticized the attorney general on multiple occasions. When asked by CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins if he had confidence in Sessions, he replied “I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard. I appreciate his service to the nation.” Wow. Asked if he has confidence in Jeff Sessions, Vice President Mike Pence says, “I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard. I appreciate his service to the nation.” — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 5, 2018 Pence’s defense of Sessions follows that of other GOP lawmakers, including Alabama’s own U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby who earlier this week said, “I think Sessions is a very smart man and a man of integrity. I would disagree with the president on that.” Trump has come under fire in recent days as news surfaced Tuesday about the details of a new book on the Trump White House to be released Sept 11 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bob Woodward, of the Washington Post, that claims Trump has called Sessions “mentally retarded” and said, “He’s this dumb Southerner.” Tuesday evening, the president denied that account saying Woodward “made this up to divide!” By Wednesday morning,Trump accused Woodward of forming a “picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact.” “Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?,” Trump tweeted. Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018 Nevertheless the rift between Sessions and Trump appears to continue to widen.
In Jeff Sessions vs Donald Trump saga, Sessions’ Southern allies speak up
Sometimes even those in the powerful offices in Washington need a little help from their friends. In the ongoing saga between Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump, a group of Southern, Republican Senators are stepping out in defense of their longtime colleague, Sessions. News surfaced Tuesday about the details of a new book on the Trump White House to be released Sept 11 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bob Woodward, of the Washington Post, that claims Trump has Attorney Sessions “mentally retarded” and said, “He’s this dumb Southerner.” Tuesday evening, the president denied that account saying Woodward “made this up to divide!” By Wednesday morning,Trump accused Woodward of forming a “picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact.” “Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?,” Trump tweeted. Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018 Despite the president’s denials, Sessions former U.S. Senate colleagues have spoken out in the Attorney General’s defense. Alabama’s senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who served alongside Sessions for 20 years, told the Washington Post: “Well, I’m sure I’ve got that accent, wouldn’t you think?” He also made clear that Trump needed the support of Southern voters in the 2016 general election, adding, “I guess the president, he says what he thinks . . . I think the president’s probably got a lot of respect for the South, I hope so. He did well there. Without the South he wouldn’t be the president of the United States.” Shelby also disagrees with Sessions being called “mentally retarded.” “I think that’s strong words,” he added. “I think Sessions is a very smart man and a man of integrity. I would disagree with the president on that.” Shelby Sessions isn’t the only one to stand up for Sessions. North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, along with Oklahoma’s James Inhofe and Georgia’s Johnny Isakson have also spoken out in his defense. “As a Southerner, I have to say, Jeff Sessions . . . is bright, studied in the law and well-respected universally by the conference here, I think that speaks for itself. He is bright,” added Tillis.
Donald Trump says Jeff Sessions’ DOJ has placed GOP in midterm jeopardy
Showing his disregard for the Justice Department’s independence, President Donald Trump tweeted that federal indictments against two Republican congressmen placed the GOP in midterm election jeopardy. Trump again attacked Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the tweet suggesting that the Justice Department consider politics when making decisions: “Obama era investigations, of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……” Trump has frequently suggested he views the Justice Department less as a law enforcement agency and more as a department that is supposed to do his personal and political bidding. Still, investigators are never supposed to take into account the political affiliations of the people they investigate. Trump did not name the Republican congressmen, but he was apparently referring to the first two Republicans to endorse him in the GOP presidential primaries. Both were indicted on separate charges last month: Rep. Duncan Hunter of California on charges that included spending campaign funds for personal expenses and Rep. Chris Collins of New York on insider trading. Both have proclaimed their innocence. The Hunter investigation began in June 2016, according to the indictment. The indictment into Collins lays out behavior from 2017. He was also under investigation by congressional ethics officials. Hunter has not exited his race, while Collins ended his re-election bid days after his indictment. Both seats appear likely to remain in GOP hands, but the charges have raised Democratic hopes. A spokeswoman for Sessions declined to comment, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump did not have any public events Monday. He briefly exited the White House to a waiting motorcade, but then went back inside without going anywhere. Trump’s tweet drew a scolding from Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “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,” Sasse said in a statement. “These two men have been charged with crimes because of evidence, not because of who the President was when the investigations began. Instead of commenting on ongoing investigations and prosecutions, the job of the President of the United States is to defend the Constitution and protect the impartial administration of justice.” Trump has previously pressed Sessions to investigate his perceived enemies and has accused Sessions of failing to take control of the Justice Department. Trump has also repeatedly complained publicly and privately over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the federal investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia because he’d worked on Trump’s campaign. Some of the issues Trump has raised have either already been examined or are being investigated. The tension between Trump and Sessions boiled over recently with Sessions punching back, saying that he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Still, Sessions has made clear to associates that he has no intention of leaving his job voluntarily despite Trump’s constant criticism. Allies, including Republican members of Congress, have long advised Trump that firing Sessions — especially before the November midterm elections — would be deeply damaging to the party. But some have indicated that Trump may make a change after the elections. “I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters recently. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
It’s time for Jeff Sessions to move on
In the last several weeks the public jabs back and forth between Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump heated up to what can only be described as an unmitigated disaster. It was like watching a scene from Mean Girls as first Trump tweeted about Sessions and Sessions responded with an official statement and now just yesterday it was reported Trump was criticizing Sessions accent and educational background. Enough already! Stop the madness. While I know this opinion will be unfavorable, especially here in Sweet Home Alabama I feel like I need to join the chorus of folks saying – it is time for Sessions to step down from his role. It does no one any good for him to be there under these circumstances and knowing Trump’s temperament it’s not a matter of if but when Sessions finds himself on the receiving end of a tweet informing him that his tenure in the administration is over. Session’s presence in the administration has become a distraction from the important work the Department of Justice is and needs to be doing. The president’s cabinet and our federal government needs to function in a fluid fashion and our leaders need to have, or at least be able to show respect for one another, if not for the offices that each of them hold. I wrote about Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation very early on when it occurred, agreeing with Trump that Sessions shouldn’t have done so. That said I’m a big fan of Session’s and the service he’s given to our state and our nation. While I disagree with him on some issues (like civil forfeiture) he’s proven throughout his career that he loves our nation and justice. So while it’s shame, it is abundantly clear that it’s time for the Department of Justice to have a clean slate. It’s time for grown men to act like grown men. It’s time for the Sessions to realize he’s no longer just the guest who’s worn out his welcome he’s making the party uncomfortable for everyone. If he were to sooner rather than later before things get any uglier, he could absolutely chase away the 50 of so people with their names being thrown around to run and beat Sen. Doug Jones in 2020 to take the U.S. Senate seat he vacated to become AG (should he have any interest in that which is doubtful to say the least). He could clearly also have a very lucrative private sector or job in higher education. His possibilities are endless but they all start with the same thing, he has to be willing to see that the price of this ongoing public feud is too high and it’s time to go. He must do all he can to protect and maintain not just his own reputation but that of the agency he’s been entrusted to run. Now, I don’t kid myself that the confirmation of a new attorney general would be an easy feat but we need someone in there that can be more effective and less divisive. We need to start sooner rather than later getting ready for that fight.
Donald Trump on Jeff Sessions: he ‘talks like he has marbles in his mouth’
After a week of throwing barbs at one another, President Donald Trump took a low blow and criticized Jeff Sessions Thursday on his southern accent, and lack of Ivy League schooling. According to reports from POLITICO, Trump told aides and lawmakers on Wednesday Sessions doesn’t have the “Ivy League pedigree” he prefers, “that he can’t stand his Southern accent and that Sessions isn’t a capable defender of the president on television — in part because he “talks like he has marbles in his mouth.” This is only the latest in a series of insults Trump has hurled at Sessions in the last 10 days, while contemplating firing him. Last week, Trump fired several barbs at Sessions, telling Fox news channel’s “Fox & Friends” that Sessions “took the job and then he said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself.” “[He] never took control of the Justice Department and it’s a sort of an incredible thing,” Trump continued. Sessions then fired back at the president, saying that the DOJ would not be “improperly influenced by political considerations.” Two White House aides said “Trump’s latest push against Sessions was fueled by last week’s conviction of Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen and former campaign manager Paul Manafort,” AL.com reported. Trump has reportedly been discussing firing Sessions for months, airing his frustration with Republican members of the House and Senate, according to CNN. But Sessions isn’t only losing the President’s trust. His former colleagues and evangelical leaders, who once held him in high esteem, are also questioning whether or not he should stay in the AG post. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told Bloomberg last Thursday that, “The president’s entitled to an attorney general he has faith in, somebody that’s qualified for the job, and I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice.” And on Monday, one of the top conservative evangelical leaders in the nation, Jerry Falwell Jr. urged Trump to fire sessions. “He really is not on the president’s team, never was,” Falwell told Politico. “He’s wanted to be attorney general for many, many years. I have a feeling he took a gamble and supported the president because he knew he would reward loyalty.”
Conservative religious leader says Jeff Sessions no longer has evangelical support
One of the top conservative evangelical leaders in the nation is urging President Donald Trump to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions. On Monday, POLITICO reported that Jerry Falwell Jr.,a lawyer and President of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., urged Trump to fire Sessions. “He really is not on the president’s team, never was,” Falwell toldPolitico. “He’s wanted to be attorney general for many, many years. I have a feeling he took a gamble and supported the president because he knew he would reward loyalty.” Sessions has long been a supporter of conservative evangelicals, going so far as to launch a religious liberty task force within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in July, citing a “dangerous movement” to erode religious freedom in America. “A dangerous movement, undetected by many, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom. There can be no doubt. This is no little matter. It must be confronted and defeated,” Sessions told attendees of the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Summit. But Sessions “has angered Trump loyalists more recently because the Justice Department has not declassified all materials sought by Republicans in regard to the Russia investigation,” Politico reported. “The president believes Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia probe because of his involvement in the 2016 campaign, has failed to rein in a probe that Trump claims is driven by politics.” Last week, Trump fired several barbs at Sessions, telling Fox news channel’s “Fox & Friends” that Sessions “took the job and then he said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself.” “[He] never took control of the Justice Department and it’s a sort of an incredible thing,” Trump continued. Sessions then fired back at the president, saying that the DOJ would not be “improperly influenced by political considerations.” “A lot of Republicans pretend to be friends to conservatives and the faith community for decades when they really were not,” Falwell continued to tell Politico. “I don’t know if he’s in that category. If he was really a fair person, he’d be going after both sides.”
