Story highlights Sessions said Trump's tweets about him were "hurtful"

The attorney general said he believes Trump remains committed to making the country "great again"

Washington (CNN) Attorney General Jeff Sessions says that President Donald Trump's critical tweets about him were "kind of hurtful," but insists he "made the right decision" in recusing himself from investigations related to the 2016 campaign.

"I understand his feelings about it," Sessions told Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Thursday of Trump, who recently said he is "disappointed" in the Justice Department head. "Because this has been a big distraction for him. But ... I'm confident I made the right decision, a decision that's consistent with the rule of law."

Why am I in El Salvador w/ #Sessions? Tune in at 8PM ET for the answer to that & the latest on his relationship w/ #Trump @FoxNews #Tucker pic.twitter.com/l8f1wB1kdL — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) July 27, 2017

Sessions said that the flurry of tweets Trump has sent off criticizing him were not the easiest to swallow, but he still defended his boss's leadership style.

"Well it's kind of hurtful, but the President of the United States is a strong leader," Sessions said, adding that he believes Trump remains committed to making the country "great again."

"He is determined to move this country in the direction he believes it needs to go to make us great again, and he has had a lot of criticisms -- and he is steadfastly determined to get his job done and he wants all of us to do our jobs and that's what I intend to do," Sessions said.

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