DEVELOPING STORY: Sessions Recuses Himself, Trump Stands By Sessions

Asked by reporters traveling with the President in Virginia if Sessions should recuse himself, the President said: “I don’t think so.”

The White House learned from press reports Wednesday that the attorney general, one of the President’s closest political confidants, had contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyakduring the campaign, a senior administration official said.

Several Republicans, many of them increasingly uneasy about the implications of the evolving Russian drama, Thursday called on Sessions to recuse himself from any involvement in an FBI probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

“Attorney General Sessions should recuse himself to ensure public confidence in the Justice Department’s investigation,” said Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who introduced Sessions at his confirmation hearing in January.

“I think the attorney general should further clarify his testimony. And I do think he should recuse himself,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Democrats sense new vulnerabilities for the administration in the widening intrigue over alleged Russian interference in last year’s presidential race, and called on Sessions to resign, saying he lied in his Senate confirmation hearing.

“(That) the top cop in our country lied under oath to the people is grounds for him to resign,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday. “He has proved that he is unqualified and unfit to serve in that position of trust.”

The latest fast-moving developments dealt a fresh blow to the White House, abruptly ending Trump’s victory lap after his well-received address to Congress. They underscored the difficulty the administration has had in shaking off a controversy that has already led to the firing of another Trump campaign aide appointed to a senior White House post — former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Sessions met on two separate occasions with Russia’s ambassador to Washington, meetings the Alabama Republican did not disclose during his confirmation hearing on January 10.

At the hearing, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken asked Sessions what he would do if there was any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government.

“I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians,” Sessions said.