Republicans defend Jeff Sessions after Trump criticisms

“During the past twenty years that I have served with Jeff Sessions in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to know him well,” Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said Tuesday on Twitter. “Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity, loyalty, and extraordinary character. I join the people of Alabama in giving Jeff Sessions my deep respect and unwavering support.”

Numerous Republicans have come to Sessions’ defense since Trump started airing his criticisms of Sessions last week, and signaled he may be about to fire the former Alabama senator. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., came to Sessions defense and said the president’s comments were “highly inappropriate.”

“Jeff Sessions is one of the most decent people I’ve ever met in my political life. Jeff Sessions is a rock-solid conservative, but above else he believes in the Rule of Law. He understands we are a nation of laws, not men,” Graham said Tuesday. “On occasion, I’ve vigorously disagreed with Jeff but I’ve never once doubted his integrity or sense of fair play.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said Trump’s tweet saying Sessions has taken a “weak position” on investigating Hillary Clinton was not fitting of any elected official.

“Mr. President, maybe just try a meeting? This is beneath the office – of any held office — from city councilman to POTUS,” Kinzinger tweeted.

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., said the president’s issues with Sessions would be best discussed in private, as opposed to aired on Twitter where communicating in 140 characters or less can be “difficult.”

“I think that the president has to work things out with the attorney general,” Buck told CNN. “I think they should do it in private. I think the attorney general is doing his very best to support the president in the way an attorney general can.”

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, questioned why Trump would want to sacrifice Sessions, and doubted another worthy candidate would want the attorney general job if the Alabama senator is forced out.

“Why would a high-quality person take that job if they’re going to be vulnerable?” King told Real Clear Politics. “Why would you sacrifice a stellar AG? It’s way too high a sacrifice.”

Though Trump said he was angry with Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, numerous Republicans backed the attorney general’s move.

“I’m a supporter of Jeff Sessions, and my guess is he made the decision—I know he made the decision he thought was the right decision, and my guess is it probably was the decision that had to be made,” Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., told a local radio station Monday.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he agrees with Sessions’ decision to recuse himself, but also said he understands the president’s frustrations with the former Alabama senator.

“I think Jeff Sessions made the right decision in recusing himself, and I also understand the president’s frustrations at the decisions and actions that Attorney General Sessions that led to him having to recuse himself,” Gowdy told Fox News. “The president is frustrated that he picked an attorney general that had to recuse himself. The recusal was based on the attorney general’s failure to recall some meetings. So that’s what the recusal was based on. The recusal was appropriate, but I do understand the president’s frustration.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan deflected questions from reporters about what he would do if Trump were to fire Sessions.

“He determines who is hired and first in the executive branch,” Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday. “That is his prerogative. If he has concerns or questions about the attorney general, I’m sure he will bring them up with him.”