President Trump on Thursday declined to say whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions would still have a job after the November midterm elections.
When asked in an interview with Bloomberg News whether Sessions would remain after the midterm elections, Trump declined to comment.
“I just would love to have him do a great job,” the president said.
[Related: Most don’t want Trump to fire Jeff Sessions]
His comments follow a torrent of tweets over the last week in which Trump has ridiculed his attorney general, publicly questioned why he’s refused to take action against Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, whose security clearance the president has threatened to revoke, and revealed he previously tried to fire Sessions.
“How the hell is Bruce Ohr still employed at the Justice Department? Disgraceful! Witch Hunt!” Trump tweeted late Wednesday.
The president told Bloomberg he’s come to view Sessions as “weak.” He cited his refusal to look into allegations of misconduct at the agency he oversees, and claimed his attorney general’s performance has been “a regrettable thing.” Despite their ongoing tension, Trump has previously praised Sessions for his work on immigration and the opioid crisis.
But even as Sessions, a conservative Republican, continues to pursue items on the president’s agenda, his lack of involvement in the Russia investigation due to an early recusal has seemingly damaged his relationship with Trump beyond repair, according to some.
Some Republican lawmakers in recent days have said the relationship between Sessions and the president is so fraught, the country would be better off if Trump replaced his attorney general sooner rather than later.
“He is not the only man in the country that can be attorney general. He is a fine man. I’m not asking for him to be fired, but the relationship is not working,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC last weekend.
