President Donald Trump’s public attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the ongoing Russia investigation have struck a nerve in a state that elected the attorney general to the Senate four times. Alabama agonizes over Trump attacks on Sessions 'He could be the greatest attorney general in history if they would just let him,' said one local Republican.

Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rattling Alabama Republicans, who are considered among the president’s staunchest and earliest supporters.

There are few places where the president is more popular than Sessions’ home state. Mobile was the site of Trump’s first big stadium-style rally in 2015, an event so pivotal in his campaign that Trump returned there in December for another rally to thank local voters.


That ardor hasn’t faded: A February poll showed Trump’s approval ratings at 88 percent among Alabama Republicans, with a stratospheric 69 percent strongly approving of his performance.

But Trump’s public attacks on Sessions for recusing himself in the ongoing Russia investigation have struck a nerve in a state that elected the attorney general to the Senate four times.

Conversations with nearly three dozen local Republicans turned up fond memories of Sessions, the state’s former senator — and frustration that he would be so publicly undermined by Trump.

“When President Trump says that, it’s disparaging and unproductive,” said Jefferson County GOP Chair Sallie Bryant, who hails from the most populous county in the state. “[Sessions] is a great guy, and he’s one of the most honorable people I’ve ever known. I’ve never known him to do something that he didn’t think was constitutional.”

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Like Bryant, local GOP officials lined up to defend Sessions. Ozark Mayor Bob Bunting recalled that when his wife passed away on Christmas Eve in 2015, Sessions called just hours later to express his condolences and to check in on Bunting’s grandson, who now serves in the military.

“I was overwhelmed with that call, because nobody else out of Washington would ever call me in that way,” said Bunting. “That’s just the kind of person he is.”

Bunting, who considers himself a strong Trump supporter, was exasperated that Sessions’ decision to recuse himself was being used as a cudgel against him.

“And Trump expects the attorney general to not do the right thing for the country? Dear Lord,” he said. “He could be the greatest attorney general in history if they would just let him.”

Sessions, who offered his resignation to the president in May, said Thursday he intends to remain in his position for the time being.

Jackson County GOP Chair Ellen O’Conner felt torn between her support for Trump as an outsider and her admiration of Sessions' ideological consistency.

“I don’t know what’s on Donald’s mind,” O’Conner confessed. “I don’t know why he made that stupid statement. To me it’s stupid. If he knew anything about how the federal government and FBI worked, he should have known that Jeff Sessions would have recused himself. The man will not go against the grain. He’s a very true conservative.”

Many GOP county chairs and local elected officials were highly critical of media coverage of Trump and effusive in their praise of Sessions — more than few referring to him as one of the best senators in state history. They remain supportive of Trump — acknowledging that they give him leeway to make mistakes on the job — but criticized the president for hindering Sessions’ ability to do his job.

“We’ve got the possibility of having one of the best AGs we’ve ever had if the media would just get off their back and return the greatness to this country,” Bibb County GOP Chair Jerry Pow said, adding that, “Sometimes Trump talks before putting his brain in gear.”

Bunting was equally blunt.

“I just wish he would throw his Twitter away and shove his shoe in his mouth. I just wish he would pull his head out of somewhere and start governing,” he said. “I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything about his son-in-law instead.”