Former Attorney General resigns under pressure from Trump
Jeff Sessions steps down following an array of controversy over Trump’s approach of dealing with the situation
Key Actors
- Jeff Sessions – Former Attorney General of the United States
- Donald Trump – Current President of the United States
- Matthew Whitaker – Acting Attorney General, superseding Sessions’ position
- Sergey Kislyakp – Russian ambassador who had ties with Sessions
- Robert Mueller – Special counsel investigating the Trump Campaign for collusion with Russia
Background
Jeff Sessions is an American politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney General of the United States from 2017 to 2018. Sessions played a major part in Trump administration, as he was one of the original supporters of the Trump campaign.
During his time as Attorney General, Sessions was embroiled in the controversies about Russia. He was accused of meddling in the process of Trump’s elections as he had evident ties with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyakp, prior to the election. Sessions claimed to have not discussed the presidential campaign with Kislyak and decided to recuse himself, saying “I should not be involved in investigating a campaign I had a role in.” Trump’s relationship with Sessions soured after he recused himself from the Russian investigation.
Details on Trump’s Relationship with Sessions
Ever since Trump’s election back in 2017, many Democrats attempted to poke holes in the situation between Trump’s administration and the Russians. Sessions, as the head of the US Department of Justice, decided to recuse himself with claims because due to conflicts of interest between Trump and the Department of Justice’s protocol. Political scientists suggested that Trump wanted Sessions to act almost as a kind of personal bodyguard from the accusations of the Special Council led by Robert Mueller. With Session’s refusal in participation in the investigation, Trump found himself very vulnerable to the investigation led the Special Council.
The Aftermath of Session’s resignation and the effects on future policies
Trump’s real obstacle was the ongoing Mueller Investigation, which is the reason why he pressured Sessions to resign. Trump unjustifiably hired Sessions’ stand-in, Matthew Whitaker, to initiate a crackdown on the Mueller Investigation. Whitaker, who is obviously loyal to Trump, has the authority to influence the investigation, namely to cut budgets for it. With Whitaker in position, the Mueller Investigation is potentially in jeopardy, giving Trump a higher leverage.
Bibliography
Kirchgaessner, Stephanie, and Jon Swaine. “Trump Pick Whitaker Rose through Ranks as Partisan Targeting Democrats.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Nov. 2018, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/donald-trump-matt-whitaker-chuck-grassley-republicans.
Murray, Jean. “What Is a Conflict of Interest? Give Me Some Examples.” The Balance Small Business, The Balance Small Business, www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-a-conflict-of-interest-give-me-some-examples-398192.
Pramuk, Jacob, and Dan Mangan. “Embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions Resigns under Pressure from Trump.” CNBC, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/11/07/trump-says-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-resigns.html.
Berenson, Tessa. “Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself. What Does Recuse Mean?” Time, Time, 3 Mar. 2017, time.com/4689877/recuses-meaning-jeff-sessions-donald-trump/.
Taylor, David. “Republicans and Democrats Pressure Whitaker Not to Interfere in Mueller Investigation.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Nov. 2018, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/18/republicans-democrats-matthew-whitaker-mueller-investigation.
McCarthy, Tom. “What’s next for the Trump-Russia Inquiry Now Sessions Has Been Fired?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 Nov. 2018, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/jeff-sessions-firing-russia-investigation-mueller-trump.