Attorney General Jeff Sessions should leave his office for other reasons besides President Donald Trump's frustration, but that doesn't mean the Senate will have to rubberstamp whomever Trump nominates, Rep. Eric Swalwell said Tuesday.
"He wasn't forthcoming with the Senate and the American people about his Russian ties and he was a part of the James Comey firing," the California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "For those reasons, I don't think he can remain the top law enforcement officer."
Trump, however, is criticizing Sessions because "he's not loyal and he won't attack and go after and prosecute Donald Trump's political opponents," said Swalwell.
Early Tuesday, the Associated Press reported Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Sessions, while he continues to be angry over Sessions' recusal. Trump also has lashed out at Sessions through Twitter for the past two days, calling him "beleaguered" on Monday and accusing him on Tuesday of being "weak" on "Hillary Clinton crimes."
Swalwell said he believes the Senate has a responsibility to protect the United States, and that does not "mean they have to rubberstamp whoever Donald Trump puts forward. They should put in place a true law enforcement official not connected to the president's presidential campaigns."
Swalwell also commented about Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's testimony and comments denying Russian collusion, and said the excuses both Kushner and Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort are giving is "forgetfulness."
"That's a convenient excuse from Jeff Sessions and Paul Manafort and Gen. [Michael] Flynn," said Swalwell. "If it was one person with one tie to Russia and they had forgotten to disclose it, I think there are innocent explanations, but we are seeing a pattern take place."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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