Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama defended Jeff Sessions after an excerpt from Bob Woodward’s book on Donald Trump’s administration revealed that the president called the attorney general a “dumb Southerner” and “mentally retarded.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ve got that accent, wouldn’t you think?” Shelby said when asked by the Washington Post for his thoughts on Trump’s reported comments. “I guess the president, he says what he thinks . . . I think the president’s probably got a lot of respect for the South, I hope so. He did well there. Without the South he wouldn’t be the president of the United States.”

As for his thoughts on the harsh jabs against Sessions, Shelby said, “I think that’s strong words. I think Sessions is a very smart man and a man of integrity. I would disagree with the president on that.”

Trump took to Twitter last night to deny Woodward’s reporting.

“The already discredited Woodward book, so many lies and phony sources, has me calling Jeff Sessions ‘mentally retarded’ and ‘a dumb southerner’,'” the president tweeted. “I said NEITHER, never used those terms on anyone, including Jeff, and being a southerner is a GREAT thing. He made this up to divide!”

The already discredited Woodward book, so many lies and phony sources, has me calling Jeff Sessions “mentally retarded” and “a dumb southerner.” I said NEITHER, never used those terms on anyone, including Jeff, and being a southerner is a GREAT thing. He made this up to divide! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018

The full sentence from Woodward’s book recounts Trump privately with former staff secretary Rob Porter and saying, “This guy is mentally retarded. He’s this dumb Southerner . . . He couldn’t even be a one-person country lawyer down in Alabama.”

[image via screengrab]



Follow the author on Twitter (@calebecarma).

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]