"It is a problem," former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said of the tensions between President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo Priebus: Sessions exit would hurt Trump

Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said Sunday that if embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions were to exit the administration, it would come back to haunt President Donald Trump.

Trump has attacked Sessions for months as the Justice Department has investigated Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Sessions, an early backer of Trump during his presidential campaign, recused himself from the probe. Last week, Trump mocked Sessions as "Mr. Magoo."


"It is a problem," Priebus said of the tensions on ABC's "This Week."

"And I don't think that it would be good for the president for Attorney General Sessions to leave."

But Priebus, who left the Trump administration in July, said Trump has "made up his mind in regard to how he feels about the recusal."

"He feels that was the first sin, the original sin," Priebus said. "And he feels slighted by it. He doesn't like it. And he's not going to let it go."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was being interviewed with Priebus on ABC, said: "If the president has absolutely no confidence in the attorney general, then the president has to act, not just criticize, but act."

"He has the right to do that," Christie said. "And as a chief executive — former chief executive, I wouldn't deprive him of that right. But in terms of Jeff Sessions' own decision, he has got to decide, am I being effective? And am I serving the country well and am I serving the people at the Department of Justice well, because it matters.”

Asked about the controversies surrounding Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser, Christie said, "Everybody's got to focus on what's best for the president." Christie said "the president's going to have to make that judgment" about whether Kushner should step aside.

Kushner's security clearance has been downgraded, raising questions about his future in the administration.

"It does make it more complicated with family," Priebus said.