Jeff Sessions’ Boss Needs to Go More than Him

Ruben van Praagh
Jul 25, 2017 · 2 min read
Source: Wikimedia

Mr. Trump engaged in cronyism when he gave the job of attorney general to Jeff Sessions. Mr. Sessions was one of his few early supporters, and nearly everyone seemed to think that this needed to be rewarded. Mr. Trump is a judge of character — sometimes good, sometimes ‘not good’ — and spent some time with Mr. Sessions during his campaign and since his appointment to the ministerial post. In all likelihood, Mr. Trump has seen things that he does not like.

Mr. Sessions seems to lack some of the courage that Donald Trump has used to build his commercial empire, media persona and political career. This is a mortal sin in his eyes, and Mr. Trump will have sought proof (and ammunition) that this lack of courage — which some will call wise abstention and even principled behavior — weakens Mr. Sessions’ effectiveness. It is very likely that the president has found more proof than ammo, i.e. he has pointed some of his guns towards Mr. Sessions, but some things he has seen him act badly on cannot be shared via Twitter and a jamboree.

Nevertheless, Mr. Sessions, who fits the description “feeble” much more than the president, has been attacked on the dossiers where he has been weak — in the president’s opinion, but not his alone. In short, it seems the case for Mr. Sessions to no longer remain in his job has some merit.

This does nothing to make the treatment of Mr. Sessions by Mr. Trump acceptable. He is being ostracized, publicly attacked, and humiliated. It is a test of his character. He has endured similar tests in the past, on his racist (or not) behavior and on his association with racists. He chose to persist. Mr. Trump seems to believe that, this time around, he will not, and has chosen to behave in an embarassing and hateful way unbecoming of any politician in any (democratic) society.

The attacks and other anti-Sessions behavior reflect much more badly on the president than they do on Mr. Sessions. Should we even care if Mr. Sessions remains? If this government is lead by such a bully (‘silverback’ seems to be a more fitting description, perhaps)? Never in recent memory has it taken a sitting president less time to lose the label “a decent man” in the eye of most observers. Decency is not his strong point, but a major weakness. A diplomat he is not — which promises many future problems, some of a global scale. In short, it seems the case for Mr. Trump to no longer remain in his job has some merit.

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