A day after a newspaper interview in which President Donald Trump raised questions about his choice for the job of Attorney General, the White House expressed public support for Jeff Sessions, saying Mr. Trump "has confidence in his ability" to lead the Department of Justice.
"He was disappointed," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the President's view of Sessions and his recusal earlier this year from any involvement in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and possible links to the Trump campaign.
"But clearly he has confidence in him or he would not be the Attorney General," Sanders told reporters at an off-camera White House briefing.
It was a much different answer than one publicly given to reporters in early June, when news surfaced of Mr. Trump's frustration with Sessions and the Russia probe recusal, as the White House at that point refused to give any answer on whether the President wanted Sessions to quit.
Back then, supporters of Mr. Trump claimed the New York Times story was 'fake news,' but the President's own words - in a New York Times interview on Wednesday - confirmed that Trump-Sessions frustration scenario.
"Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else," the President told a group of New York Times reporters.
Earlier in the day at an unrelated news conference, the Attorney General was asked by reporters about Mr. Trump's remarks, and gave no hint about possibly resigning.
Back in June, it was reported that Sessions - stung by the President's frustration over the Russia-recusal matter - had offered to resign his post.
Sessions was the very first GOP Senator to endorse Mr. Trump, in late February of 2016.
In Congress, Democrats seized on Mr. Trump's remarks, saying it was obvious that the President wanted someone in the job of Attorney General who would squelch the Russia investigation.
"The smoke billows higher and higher," said Rep. Don McEachin (D-VA), "the fire is likely not too far behind."
And some in the conservative arena weren't buying the President's criticism of Sessions either.
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