Mueller Vs Trump
Hello all! This is Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco, taking over the liveblog from Amanda Holpuch.
As Capitol Hill reels from Donald Trump’s surprise firing of attorney general Jeff Sessions, a handful of Republican senators are warning the president not to get any ideas about shutting down the Mueller investigation.
“The one thing this does make certain is that the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in elections will continue to its end, as it should, because no new Attorney General can be confirmed who will stop that investigation,” said Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in a statement (emphasis mine).
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My statement on the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
6:45 AM - Nov 8, 2018
Senator Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who cast a deciding vote to place Trump’s pick on the Supreme Court last month, also expressed concern over deputy AG Rod Rosenstein’s removal from his role overseeing the Mueller probe.
Sen. Susan Collins
✔@SenatorCollins
· 4h
Attorney General Sessions is a leader of integrity who served our country well.
Sen. Susan Collins
✔@SenatorCollins
It is imperative that the Administration not impede the Mueller investigation. I’m concerned Rod Rosenstein will no longer be overseeing the probe. Special Counsel Mueller must be allowed to complete his work without interference—regardless of who is AG.
6:14 AM - Nov 8, 2018
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Senator-elect Mitt Romney also weighed in on the importance of the Mueller investigation.
Mitt Romney(@MittRomney)
I want to thank Jeff Sessions for his service to our country as Attorney General. Under Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, it is imperative that the important work of the Justice Department continues, and that the Mueller investigation proceeds to its conclusion unimpeded.November 7, 2018
Updated at 11.30pm GMT
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4h ago23:01
Summary
It’s been a busy afternoon. Following a 1.5 hour press conference about the midterm elections that gave Democrats control of the House, Donald Trump fired attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Here’s where things stand:
Trump announced Sessions was being replaced in a Tweet that also named Matthew Whitaker as the acting attorney general. Sessions said he was resigning at Trump’s request.
Whitaker has repeatedly criticized special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election – which is nested in the justice department Whitaker now heads.
Legal analysts warned Sessions firing could pave the way for a constitutional crisis, if Whittaker were to prematurely shut down Mueller’s investigation.
Democrats, including New York senator Chuck Schumer, called on Whitaker to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. When Sessions recused himself from the investigation last year, his relationship with Trump soured.
In the press conference, Trump nastily attacked a black reporter, declared himself a “moral leader” and said the midterms were a “complete victory” for Republicans.
Trump was also asked about Jeff Sessions’ future. He responded: “I’d rather answer that at a little different time.”
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What does Jeff Sessions’ firing mean for Mueller and the Trump-Russia inquiry?
The Guardian’s Tom McCarthy writes:
A sense of alarm over the Sessions firing and what it could mean for the Mueller investigation was widespread in national security circles. The special counsel’s office is nested inside the justice department, which is headed by the attorney general.
“Not a drill,” tweeted Susan Hennessy, the editor of the Lawfare blog and a Brookings Institution fellow. “This is a frontal assault on the Mueller investigation. Trump sees a window and he’s taking it.”
Trump’s precise plan for Mueller was unclear from the immediate news of the Sessions firing, the latest in a long series of high-profile firings and resignations from the highest echelons of the Trump administration. While Trump’s loudest complaints about Sessions centered on the attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from oversight of the Russia inquiry, Trump has voiced displeasure with Sessions for many other reasons.
What does Jeff Sessions's firing mean for Mueller and the Trump-Russia inquiry?
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4h ago22:41
Former US attorney general Jeff Sessions has left the building.
Justice department employees were invited to watch Sessions leave the building this afternoon in an office-wide email. “Please join us for this special department wide event!” the email said.
Footage of the exit shows crowds clapping in and outside the Justice department building as a smiling Sessions walks out, pauses in front of the crowd, shakes hands with a few people, then steps into a black car.
Nick Wing(@nickpwing)
All DOJ employees are cordially invited to watch their former boss leave the building after getting shitcanned by Trump. pic.twitter.com/T1VAIO0qApNovember 7, 2018
NBC News
✔@NBCNews
JUST IN: Jeff Sessions departs Dept. of Justice after resigning as attorney general. https://nbcnews.to/2SZdFbs
6:38 AM - Nov 8, 2018
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