House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked by reporters Tuesday if he was concerned Trump would fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replace him with someone who would fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, said it’s up to the president who keeps their job in the executive branch.
President Donald Trump, Ryan said, “determines who is hired and fired in the executive branch… That’s his prerogative. If he has concerns or questions or problems with the attorney general, I’m sure he’ll bring them up with him himself.”
Ryan also expressed little concern about the potential of Trump removing Mueller, who is investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.
“Look,” Ryan told reporters, “The president gets to decide what his personnel is… He’s the executive branch, we’re the legislative branch.”
And Ryan isn’t wrong — but the legislative branch does act as an important check and balance on the executive branch, and Ryan’s comments conveniently omit that oversight responsibility.
Ryan on Trump/Sessions, whether he's concerned Mueller will be removed: "Look, the president gets to decide what his personnel is."
— Matt Flegenheimer (@mattfleg) July 25, 2017
After his comments, Ryan’s office pushed back, saying the speaker was only talking about Sessions, even though the question was about both Sessions’ and Mueller’s job security. Additionally, Session and Mueller are inextricably linked, as Sessions’ recusal from the Russia investigation cleared the way for Mueller to be appointed as special counsel.
Ryan's office says he was only talking about Sessions & has praised Mueller. Q about both: https://t.co/hDLAjMWmV6https://t.co/wuunm8nBQG
— Matt Flegenheimer (@mattfleg) July 25, 2017
Trump has brought up his problems with Sessions — in a very public forum. The president first attacked Sessions in an interview with The New York Times last week, saying that if he knew Sessions was going to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, he never would have hired him.
The president has continued to attack Sessions on Twitter, calling the attorney general “beleaguered” Monday. Early Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted that he thinks Sessions has taken a “VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes… & Intel leakers.”
So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
Minutes after Ryan’s comments, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a statement praising Sessions and pushing back against Trump’s early morning tweets.
“President Trump’s tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate,” the statement said. “Prosecutorial decisions should be based on applying facts to the law without a hint of political motivation.”
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 25, 2017
Notably, Graham’s statement does not indicate a willingness to take action to protect Sessions.
In an interview with Hugh Hewitt Tuesday, Trump’s new communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Hewitt was “probably right” when he said it seems clear Trump wants Sessions gone.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, but I do know the President pretty well and if there’s this level of tension in the relationship, that that’s public, you’re probably right,” Scaramucci said.
“It’s clear the President wants him gone, right, Anthony?” Hewitt asked.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, but I do know the President pretty well and if there’s this level of tension in the relationship, that that’s public, you’re probably right,” Scaramucci said.
But Scaramucci, like Ryan, said that Sessions’ job security was between the president and the attorney general, saying, “I don’t want to speak for the president on that because [Sessions is] a cabinet official and I sort of think that has to be between the president of the United States and the cabinet official.”
Trump has already shown a willingness to do away with people who are investigating him, having fired former FBI Director James Comey, former US Attorney Preet Bharara, and former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates.