Well.
I see two rather groundbreaking revelations this week, one is this newly emerging news about the meeting between Jared’s Hedge Fund friend, Erik Prince, Head of the Russian Bank, and a UAE Prince in the Seychelles (Watch that one, that’s where collusion will come from, if it exists) The other involves obstruction in its barest form, the lengths Trump went to behind the scenes to get Sessions to “unrecuse himself” in the Russian investigation.
(We could count the on-again, off-again North Korean summit, but the news on that changes daily, so we can’t count that.)
Evidently Trump told Nunes to “unrecuse himself” and get back in charge of the House investigation, and Nunes had no trouble doing it.
So what was Sessions’ problem?
Actually, Sessions didn’t have a problem, Sessions had the solution, and knew it. Sessions knew that so long as he could grin and bear Trump’s private tirades, and public humiliation, he would be just fine in the job he’s always coveted.
According to a fairly straightforward Politico article, White House aides warned Trump that he would be handing Mueller some real strong evidence of obstruction if he fired Sessions.
I am not sure how they didn’t figure that out prior to firing Comey. Regardless, maybe you get one shot at firing the guy investigating you, firing two – because Sessions’ removal would be all about Russia – is a game-changer. Moreover, several Senators who lack the spine to come out and confront Trump politically, have made it very clear that they will not confirm anyone else to the A.G. position, leaving guess who in charge? Yes, Rosenstein. Trump would then have to fire a third person to get at Mueller, with no guarantee he would get that third person confirmed, either.
Trump’s absolute obsession with his A.G.’s disloyalty (that word again) has not escaped our favorite prosecutor’s notice, either. From the same Politico article:
Trump’s efforts to persuade Sessions to reverse his decision to recuse himself from the investigation, is already a focus of Mueller’s investigation. According to The New York Times, the special counsel wants to ask the president questions including, “What did you think and do regarding the recusal of Mr. Sessions” and “What efforts did you make to try to get him to change his mind?”
Whoa. No wonder Trump doesn’t want to talk to Mueller, just like any other criminal who will be asked hard questions.
Something about Trump mines ironic gold like no other person, but the irony in this situation is that Sessions had never been that popular when he was in the actual Senate, especially with Democrats. But people berated publicly by Trump, especially people who get it because they stood for principle, become more popular over time, even somewhat with Democrats.
Some administration officials have come to feel sympathy for Sessions, and describe the constant attacks on him from the president as personally painful for the AG. They view his commitment to stay in the post despite the president’s displeasure as honorable.
In honor of your best friend’s – Sen. McCain – valiant fight with cancer, take us out Senator Graham, tell us precisely why Sessions holds all the cards:
“If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told CNN the same month.
Alas, almost makes one want to see it happen. But, it won’t, because Trump knows Sessions holds all the cards.
Now, if you have time, and love what we do here, feel free to read the other big story of the weak, because it’s coming out as a Friday afternoon news dump, and needs far more attention, the meeting in paradise.
