WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed “total” confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions, despite revelations the former Alabama Senator had conversations with Russia’s ambassador during the presidential campaign.
While touring the Gerald R. Ford, America’s newest aircraft carrier, President Trump said that he “wasn’t aware” that Sessions had spoken to the ambassador, but that he believed the attorney general had testified truthfully to the Senate during his confirmation hearing.
“I think he probably did,” Trump told reporters Thursday.
However, Washington state Rep. Pramila Jayapal adopted a completely different narrative, issuing a statement calling for Sessions to resign via Twitter Thursday:
He lied under oath. For that, he must resign. #FireSessions pic.twitter.com/KAr6cMtrFD
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) March 2, 2017
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath. For that, he must resign,” Jayapal said in her statement. “Despite swearing to tell the truth, Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he ‘did not have communications with the Russians.’ By lying to Congress, under the penalty of perjury, Jeff Sessions failed at his duty even before he took the job,” she added.
Asked whether Sessions should recuse himself in the Russia investigations, the president said, “I don’t think so.”
“For the good of the country, Attorney General Jeff Sessions should resign,” said the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York. The House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, took the same position, saying, “Sessions is not fit to serve as the top law enforcement officer of our country and must resign.”
The Trump administration dismissed the accusations as partisan attacks, and Sessions said in a statement issued shortly before midnight that he had not addressed election matters with the ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak.
“I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign,” Sessions said. “I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false.”