Trump and Sessions didn’t discuss criticism in person: report

President Trump’s latest criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions reportedly didn’t come up when the pair were in a meeting together on Thursday afternoon.

A source with knowledge of the Oval Office meeting told Axios that there was “not even a passing mention” of the day’s exchange between the two officials.

“To the point where I don’t even know if he [Trump] was aware of his [Sessions’s] statement,” the source told Axios, referencing the pointed remarks Sessions released the morning of the meeting in response to Trump’s criticism of the attorney general’s leadership of the Department of Justice.

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Trump criticized Sessions during an interview with Fox News, attacking him for his recusal from matters related to the federal investigation into Russia’s election interference.

“You know the only reason I gave him the job? Because I felt loyalty, he was an original supporter,” Trump said in the interview. 

“The Dems are very strong in the Justice Department,” Trump continued. “And I put in an attorney general that never took control of the Justice Department, Jeff Sessions. Never took control of the Justice Department.”

Sessions defended himself, saying that he will not let investigations in the Department of Justice “be improperly influenced by political considerations.”

“I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action,” Sessions said in a statement.

The exchange was reportedly not mentioned during the Thursday Oval Office meeting that included senior adviser Jared Kushner, counselor Kellyanne Conway and director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp.

Trump, however, did reportedly tell Sessions during the meeting that those convicted of illegally dealing fentanyl should get the death penalty, according to a Bloomberg report.

The president responded to Sessions’s statement publicly on Friday morning, quoting the statement and saying, “Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants, so look into all of the corruption on the ‘other side’ including deleted Emails, Comey lies & leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr…”

“Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants, so look into all of the corruption on the “other side” including deleted Emails, Comey lies & leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018

….FISA abuse, Christopher Steele & his phony and corrupt Dossier, the Clinton Foundation, illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign, Russian collusion by Dems – and so much more. Open up the papers & documents without redaction? Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018