Trump says he won't campaign against Sessions in Senate run
November 8, 2019President Donald Trump said Friday that he won’t campaign against Jeff Sessions in his bid for his previously held Senate seat, despite their tense and rocky relationship during Sessions' tenure as attorney general.
"No, I won’t,” the president told reporters on the White House lawn when asked if he would campaign against Sessions. “I'll see how it all goes. We'll see what happens. He's got tough competition."
Once considered one of Trump’s most loyal advisers, Sessions fell out of the president’s favor when he recused himself from the Russia investigation — a move that helped pave the way for the appointment of former special counsel Robert Mueller.
Sessions announced his candidacy Thursday in the already-crowded race of Republicans taking on incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. He previously forfeited his Senate seat after Trump was elected to serve as the attorney general.
When asked if he would endorse Sessions, Trump said he has not yet decided.
“Well, I haven't gotten involved," Trump told reporters. "I saw he said very nice things about me last night, but we'll have to see. I haven't made a determination.
Sessions' campaign appeared to attempt to smooth his strained relationship with Trump in a video posted to his website, saying the president had his “full support.”
"When I left President Trump's cabinet, did I write a tell-all book? No,” Sessions said. "Did I go on CNN and attack the president? Nope. Have I said a cross word about the president? Not one time and I'll tell you why. First, that would be dishonorable. I was there to serve his agenda, not mine. Second, the president is doing a great job for America and Alabama and he has my strong support."
After Sessions resigned, Jones pulled out an upset victory in 2017 by becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Alabama in 25 years. Republicans are eyeing the seat in 2020 to flip a Democratic-held position and keep a GOP majority in the Senate. The president’s endorsement is viewed as a key to securing the position.
The president’s contentious relationship with former attorney general is already a target of Sessions’ opponents in the race.
“As AG, he failed the President at his point of greatest need,” former Auburn football coach and candidate Tommy Tuberville tweeted Wednesday. He also lobbed attacks in a recent campaign ad, calling Sessions a “total disaster” and “embarrassment” to Alabama.
Source: https://www.politico.com/
