Senator Mike Rounds defended his former Senate colleague Jeff Sessions on Thursday after President Trump slammed the attorney general in an interview.
“We have a great deal of respect for Attorney General Sessions. We’ve known him personally,” the South Dakota Republican said on CNN’s “New Day,” “and I can tell you that he is the right man for the job.”
Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Sessions in a Fox News interview earlier in the morning for pushing back against Democrats in the DOJ.
Among several complaints, the president highlighted that the attorney general recused himself from the Mueller investigation. He said he hired Mr. Sessions out of loyalty, but he “should have told me” about stepping away from the Russia probe.
“He took the job, and then he said I’m going to recuse myself. I said what kind of a man is this?” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Rounds said he understood Mr. Trump’s frustration and wanting an attorney general to act “a very strong advocate for his positions.”
“But you have to understand that Jeff Sessions is truly a man of principle,” Mr. Rounds said, “He will do the right thing and he will stand his ground.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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