Trump blasts Jeff Sessions over surveillance probe, and Sessions fights back

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump attacks Jeff Sessions over surveillance Publicly chastised by the president, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is in the hot seat again. Veuer's Chandra Lanier has the story.

WASHINGTON – President Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, clashed again Wednesday, this time over a newly announced investigation into alleged abuse of surveillance powers — an inquiry Trump endorsed for months.

During a morning set of tweets, Trump protested Sessions' decision to have the Justice Department's inspector general investigate the handling of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants, rather than the department's prosecutors.

The president argued an IG inquiry would take too long. "Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy?" he wrote. "Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!"

Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2018

Sessions released a statement hours later: "As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution."

Trump has criticized Sessions on a variety of fronts, including the attorney general's decision to recuse himself from the investigation into alleged Russian interference in American elections, a decision that led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump hadn't launched a broadside against his attorney general since July.

Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and most vocal supporters. Last summer, Sessions described Trump's public rebukes as "kind of hurtful" but expressed his intent to remain on the job.

"He [Trump] has had a lot of criticism, and he’s steadfast determined to get his job done," Sessions told Fox News in July. "And he wants all of us to do our jobs, and that’s what I intend to do.’’

The attorney general acknowledged Tuesday that he asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to review possible surveillance abuses raised by House Republicans as part of an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Republicans alleged that the FBI misused a secret surveillance court to get approval to wiretap Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., told Fox News he understands where Trump is coming from about the organization of the investigation, but he doesn't think the president should criticize his attorney general in public.

"Jeff Sessions is loyal to the president, and he’s one of the first to support him, and he’s often in very difficult positions, and I think he’s trying to reconcile as best as he can," King said.

In a tweet on his border wall proposal, Trump suggested that "sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved." California officials have long objected to the idea.

I have decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved. Big victory yesterday with ruling from the courts that allows us to proceed. OUR COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2018

The tweet came a day after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration had the right to waive environmental laws to build the wall. The ruling came in a lawsuit with plaintiffs that include California's attorney general.

The prospects for a wall anywhere remain uncertain; Congress has yet to fund it, and Mexico has repeatedly refused Trump's demands that it help finance the structure.