The whole flap over Attorney General Jeff Sessions began with his recusal from the Russia investigation. Dan and I have both argued that, while the recusal wasn't necessary, President Trump's subsequent angry rants were anything but helpful. If he wanted to fire Sessions, he should have called him up and fired him. Many conservatives (myself among them) would have applauded the move, thanks to Sessions's indefensible stance on asset forfeiture. Instead, Trump decided to lash out in a series of tweets and interviews that offered no upside, and furthered the impression that his administration was engulfed in chaos.
Then John F. Kelly replaced Reince Priebus. Now, things appear to be changing.
Trump is still clearly unhappy with the recusal, but calls have been made and things are being smoothed over. Those expecting Sessions to go the way of Anthony Scaramucci will be disappointed. His job is safe.
From the AP:
New White House chief of staff John Kelly, in one of his first acts in his new post, called Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reassure him that his position was safe despite the recent onslaught of criticism he has taken from President Donald Trump.
Kelly called Sessions on Saturday to stress that the White House was supportive of his work and wanted him to continue his job, according to two people familiar with the call. The people demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about a private conversation. Kelly, who was appointed to the post the day before, described the president as still miffed at Sessions but did not plan to fire him or hope he would resign.
Honestly, this was a no-brainer.
Whatever you think of Sessions, firing him would have caused a Capitol Hill firestorm. GOP Senators and Representatives were lining up to support him. If President Trump had decided to dump him - after the way he'd already treated him - there would have been a revolt.
As I've said before, Presidents need allies. That may not be fair, but it's the way it is. Trump may have a tendency to shoot his mouth off, but he's not stupid. He probably knows that hanging Sessions out to dry hurt his agenda, and he's certainly been made aware that firing him would have been the final straw on the political camel's back.
This is de-escalation, pure and simple. It's also - at least for now - the right move.
