Sen. Lindsey Graham does not want to see Attorney General Jeff Sessions become Homeland Security secretary once John Kelly makes the transition to White House chief of staff.
In a pair of tweets Saturday, Graham, R-S.C., said “AG Jeff Sessions has a good ring to it.”
He went on to list off the qualities he thinks makes Sessions the right fit as attorney general. “Highly qualified, committed to the rule of law, tough on crime, and fiercely independent,” he said.
Graham then expressed his disapproval of speculation that Sessions could jump over to DHS.
“DHS Secretary Jeff Sessions doesn’t sound right, doesn’t feel right,” he said. “Bad idea.”
President Trump announced on Twitter Friday that Kelly would be his new chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus. He is expected to start on Monday.
While DHS has announced an acting DHS secretary, Kelly’s deputy, Elaine Duke, people have begun to ponder who Trump might nominate to take the helm, pending Senate confirmation.
In the Politico article Graham shared on Twitter, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are also listed as contenders.
Trump has recently expressed dissatisfaction with Sessions as his attorney general, stemming from Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from any investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Sessions has indicated he will stay on at DOJ as long as Trump will have him, and maintained this week that he “made the right decision” on his recusal.
Graham on Thursday issued a warning to Trump if he were to let go of Sessions.
“If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay,” Graham said outside a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday.
The two served in the Senate together before Sessions joined the Trump administration.
If Trump were to remove Sessions from the Justice Department, he would find it difficult to confirm a replacement anytime soon. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a tweet this week that “no way” would his committee hold a hearing for a new attorney general nominee this year.
