(Reuters photo: Aaron P. Bernstein)

For the sake of the country, stay until Trump fires you.

At this moment the attorney general of the United States is at the eye of a presidential storm.

Donald Trump is very angry that Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russian investigation.

He’s very angry that firing James Comey didn’t calm the public outcry.

And now he’s very angry that there’s a special counsel who operates largely outside of his direct control.


So he’s doing what an unfit president and a terrible boss does: He’s venting on Twitter.


Just today, Trump dropped these gems into the public square:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017

If Sessions goes, Trump will be free to appoint a true lackey to the attorney general’s office and then instruct that lackey to either cripple or terminate Robert Mueller’s investigation. Such blatant presidential interference — especially after his son, son-in-law, and campaign chair were caught meeting with a person they were told was a Russian government official who offered opposition research on his opponent — would ignite a firestorm on Capitol Hill orders of magnitude greater than any we’ve seen so far.


Yes, there are Trumpkins who want Trump to fire everybody, to pardon every loyalist who might need pardoning, and to end the Russia “witch hunt” once and for all. These people are foolish. Every step against the investigation signals to all but Trump’s base voters that he has something to fear. Every firing pushes GOP members of Congress — many of whom won their districts or states by greater margins than Trump in November — closer to open rebellion. There is a sense that the president is out of control, and even craven politicians ultimately don’t want to lash themselves to the mast of the Titanic. They may resist too late to prevent the fatal damage, but eventually many will resist.

Even worse, if Sessions goes, it also sets the stage for an extended power vacuum at the Department of Justice. An angry Senate would be highly unlikely to rubber-stamp the next Trump nominee, and after watching the way Trump treated his first and most loyal Republican supporter, quality people would be understandably reluctant to accept even the high honor of serving as attorney general of the United States. Thus, we’d likely see the sad spectacle of prominent conservatives withdrawing their names while furious Senate leaders nix the nomination(s) of (an) unqualified Trump loyalist(s).


If Sessions resists, however, the storm may pass. Trump — who, ironically enough, is said to hate firing people himself — may back down, at least for now. The Department of Justice needs functional leadership. Mueller needs the proper time and space to do his job. The American people need definitive answers on the extent of Russian efforts to influence our election. If Sessions stays, there’s at least a chance that the president will come to his senses and this crucial portion of our government can continue to work. If he resigns, it could set in motion a political crisis. The choice is that stark.

The attorney general should stay as long as he can, for our nation’s sake.


READ MORE:

What Does Trashing Sessions Get Trump?

Donald Trump Is a Nightmare Boss

The Coming Trump-Mueller Collision

— David French is a senior writer for National Review, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, and an attorney.