- The Washington Times - Saturday, August 25, 2018

President Trump on Saturday again berated Attorney General Jeff Sessions saying he “doesn’t understand what is happening” underneath him at the Justice Department.

Mr. Trump said, as a result, special counsel Robert Mueller have ignored “the real corruption.”

The latest Trump Twitter salvo came after a tense week between the two as their working relationship continues to fall apart.

“Jeff Sessions said he wouldn’t allow politics to influence him only because he doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command position,” Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday morning. “Highly conflicted Bob Mueller and his gang of 17 Angry Dems are having a field day as the real corruption goes untouched. No Collusion!”

Mr. Trump has long complained about Mr. Sessions decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. But this week, the contentious battle reached new heights.

On Thursday, the president said in an interview with “Fox & Friends” that Mr. Sessions failed to take control of the Justice Department. Mr. Trump also revived his frequent complaint about his attorney general’s recusal.

“Even my enemies say that Jeff Sessions should have told you that he was going to recuse himself and then you wouldn’t have put him in. He took the job and then he said I’m going to recuse myself. I said, ’what kind of a man is this?’” he said.

Mr. Trump appears to be on the offensive against his attorney general after his former campaign manager Paul Manafort was convicted of financial fraud and his long-time fixer Micheal Cohen pleaded guilty to a host of crimes, including campaign finance violations.

Both of those convictions emerged out of Mr. Mueller’s Russia probe.

That same day, Mr. Sessions fried back in a fierce statement, a rare move showing the attorney general’s frustration with his boss is increasing.

Mr. Sessions said he “took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in.”

“While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations,” he said in the statement.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

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