Attorney General Jeff Sessions does not plan to resign
Attorney General Jeff Sessions still has no plans to quit, CBS News' Paula Reid reports, after another Trump tweet betraying some frustration with him over the Russia investigation, as well as a report saying that the former Russian envoy told his superiors that Sessions had talked with him about the Trump campaign and about issues of concern to Russia.
On Monday morning, the president complained his "beleaguered" AG was not looking into his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton's "crimes & Russia relations."
Later, at a photo op with interns, the president was asked whether Sessions should resign. The president rolled his eyes.
Then, there was a report a few days ago, confirmed by CBS News, that then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak told his superiors in Moscow that during the 2016 U.S. presidential race he and Sessions discussed policy issues important to Russia and the Trump campaign on two separate occasions, according to U.S. intelligence community intercepts of Kislyak's conversations with the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Washington Post first reported the two Kislyak intercepts.
And last week, after the president told the New York Times he regretted appointing Sessions attorney general because of his recusal from the Russia investigation, Sessions was asked about the president's remarks. Sessions told reporters, "We love this job. We love this department, and I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate."
During the presidential election, then-Senator Sessions was the first senator to throw his support behind Mr. Trump, and he served as a foreign policy adviser to Mr. Trump during the campaign. On March 2, Sessions recused himself from any investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, after it emerged that he had not disclosed conversations he had with Kislyak during the campaign.
Asked whether or not he and the ambassador discussed President Trump or the election -- "I don't recall," Sessions said. "But most of these ambassadors are pretty gossipy and they like to -- this was in campaign season, but I don't recall any specific political discussions."
Sessions later gave testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 13 in which he stated that he "never met with or had any conversations with any Russians or any foreign officials concerning any type of interference with any campaign or election."
Sessions' staffers would not discuss how often he and President Trump talk, nor what they discuss, but CBS News confirmed that he was present in the daily White House principals committee meeting Monday morning.
The attorney general has been working seven days a week, and does not plan to take an August vacation, eschewing the custom of his two predecessors in the job.
CBS News' Paula Reid contributed to this report.
