Tuesday, June 06, 2017

SESSIONS WON'T RESIGN, BUT IF HE DID... (updated)

I don't think this indicates a real desire to step down on the part of Jeff Sessions:
As the White House braces for former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony Thursday, sources tell ABC News the relationship between President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has become so tense that Sessions at one point recently even suggested he could resign.
This is what a normal D.C. politician offers to do when a president he serves has become displeased with him for whatever reason -- at least that's how it looks to me. I don't think Sessions wants to go. And clearly Trump didn't take him up on the offer.

Trump's desperate need to find someone to blame for his own failings has led him to become angry at a lot of key staffers -- Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway, Reince Priebus. Maybe they've all volunteered to quit at one time or another. So far, they're all still there.

But if Sessions did leave, would he be replaced? I'm sure the president would promise to appoint a new attorney general very quickly -- just the way he promised a quick replacement for James Comey at the FBI. We're still waiting. (See update.)

Maybe no one would take the gig. It's not just private lawyers who are turning Trump down these days, it's potential White House staffers as well:
The White House recently approached Geoff Morrell — who served as the Pentagon press secretary for more than four years under former defense secretary Robert Gates — about coming inside the administration and overhauling the communications operation, according to three people with knowledge of the overture.

Morrell declined to comment, but BP announced last month that Morrell would be moving to London this summer to run government relations and communications for the company globally.

Scott Reed, senior political strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was also approached about taking a communications role within the White House, according to two people familiar with the outreach. Reed declined to comment.

In addition, Laura Ingraham, a conservative talk-radio host and Trump friend, discussed joining the White House but made clear to officials that she is more comfortable remaining outside as a vocal Trump ally because of her many broadcasting and media commitments, officials said.
Everybody's got an excuse.

So if Sessions were to leave, we really might be without an FBI director and an attorney general for weeks, months -- or Trump's entire term.

Although it occurs to me that there's one person who really might take the gig: Trump ally and convenient campaign contribution recipient Pam Bondi, the attorney general of Florida. Are you ready for that?

****

UPDATE, WEDNESDAY: Whoops -- guess I was wrong about the FBI.



Bio here. Seems like a reasonable choice, although he was Chris Christie's personal attorney during Bridgegate.

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