Jeff Sessions slams Trump and tells him to butt out of Alabama’s senate race

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is campaigning to win back his old Alabama senate seat has tweeted at his former boss, President Trump, that he is ‘damn fortunate’ he recused himself from Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s involvement into the 2016 election. 

Sessions response came hours after a tweet by President Trump on Friday night in which he voiced support for Sessions political opponent, Republican Alabama Senatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville.

Trump encouraged Alabama’s voters to pick former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville while declaring Sessions to have ‘let our country down’ because of his recusal in 2017. 

‘3 years ago, after Jeff Sessions recused himself, the Fraudulent Mueller Scam began. Alabama, do not trust Jeff Sessions. He let our Country down. That’s why I endorsed Coach Tommy Tuberville ( @TTuberville ), the true supporter of our #MAGA agenda!’ the president wrote in the tweet. 

Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave up his 20-year Alabama seat when Trump appointed him Attorney General in 2017 – but he is now fighting to get his old seat back

President Trump is voicing his support for Tommy Tuberville who is running against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is facing a tough senate race

President Trump is voicing his support for Tommy Tuberville who is running against former Attorney General Jeff Sessions who is facing a tough senate race

Hours after the president's tweet, Sessions fired back at Trump to tell him that it was lucky he recused himself during Mueller's Russia investigation

Hours after the president’s tweet, Sessions fired back at Trump to tell him that it was lucky he recused himself during Mueller’s Russia investigation

Around four hours later, Sessions fired back: ‘@RealDonaldTrump Look, I know your anger, but recusal was required by law. I did my duty & you’re damn fortunate I did. It protected the rule of law & resulted in your exoneration. Your personal feelings don’t dictate who Alabama picks as their senator, the people of Alabama do.’

But Sessions still attempted to smooth things over with the president despite being humiliated on Twitter, by trying to embrace the Trump’s views on immigration while knocking Tuberville’s. 

‘Tuberville’s a coward who is rightly too afraid to debate me. He says you’re wrong on China & trade. He wants to bring in even more foreign workers to take American jobs. That’s not your agenda and it’s not mine or Alabama’s. I know Alabama. Tuberville doesn’t,’ Sessions wrote.

Trump has long held anger towards Sessions ever since March 2017 when he recused himself from the Department of Justice’s investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

‘Sessions should have never recused himself,’ Trump said to the New York Times in July 2017. ‘If he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.’ 

Sessions has always stated that ‘The law required that I recuse myself from the investigation.’

‘The specific law for the Department of Justice required that I recuse myself from the Russian collusion investigation. To not recuse myself from that investigation, of which I was a target as a senior campaign official and a witness, would have been breaking the law. I do not and will not break the law.’ Sessions said in a statement earlier this month. 

Sessions became the U.S. attorney general in 2017 and was fired by Trump in November 2018.   

Tuberville's tweet earlier in the week was very similar to the president's own message on Friday

Tuberville’s tweet earlier in the week was very similar to the president’s own message on Friday

Tuberville and Sessions are running against one another in a July 14 Republican primary and will go on to face incumbent Democratic Alabama Senator Doug Jones in November’s election.

Sessions resignation came on November 7, 2018 – a day after the national mid-term elections, at Trump’s request. 

Trump had already formally endorsed Tuberville in March tweeting: ‘Tommy will protect your Second Amendment, (which is under siege), is strong on Crime and the Border, and truly LOVES our Military and our Vets.’

Tuberville’s tweet was eerily similar to the president’s after sending his own message earlier this week.  

‘3 years ago today @jeffsessions threw @realDonaldTrump to the wolves with the Mueller appointment. When faced with supporting POTUS or running scared, Jeff Sessions chose the easy way out and recused himself. I won’t ever run from a fight in the U.S. Senate.’ 

A May survey suggested 55 percent of voters favoring Tuberville, with  32 percent supporting Sessions according to Newsweek.

President Donald Trump voiced his support for Republican Alabama Senatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville while slamming his political opponent, Republican candidate Jeff Sessions

President Donald Trump voiced his support for Republican Alabama Senatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville while slamming his political opponent, Republican candidate Jeff Sessions

Former American football coach and former player Tommy Tuberville is hoping to win a seat in the Senate and is campaigning in Alabama but faces Jeff Sessions in a runoff election in July

Former American football coach and former player Tommy Tuberville is hoping to win a seat in the Senate and is campaigning in Alabama but faces Jeff Sessions in a runoff election in July

In Alabama, Sessions in many ways was Trump before Trump on some policies issues, embracing hard line stances on immigration and trade. Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump, donning a Make America Great Again hat at an Alabama rally. But in a political twist of irony, his public falling out with Trump threatens his hope of recapturing his former seat.

But Tuberville, boosted by name recognition from years as a football coach at Auburn University, positioned himself as a political outsider and tried to capitalize on Trump’s past criticisms of Sessions.

Sessions usually refers to Tuberville, who until last year was registered to vote in Florida, as a ‘tourist from Florida.’ The former senator also asked where Tuberville was at the time Session was helping Trump get elected.

‘Where was he when Donald Trump needed him?’ Sessions asked earlier this year. 

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