GOP Senators Tell Tapper They Want Trump to Cut Out the Attacks on Sessions and Mueller

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s explosive interview with the New York Times in which he said he wouldn’t have hired Jeff Sessions as attorney general if he knew he’d recuse himself from the Russia probe, CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with four Republican senators to get their thoughts on Trump’s comments.

And, from what they told Tapper, they are definitely not pleased with the way the president is treating the AG. Nor are they thrilled with POTUS saying he’d fire special counsel Robert Mueller if he crossed a “red line” by looking into his family’s finances.

Three of the lawmakers that the CNN anchor spoke to wanted to remain unnamed as they didn’t want their comments to “devolve into a food fight” with the president. The one who was willing to go on record was Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

One senator noted that Trump doesn’t “understand or he willfully disregards the fact that the attorney general and law enforcement in general, they are not his personal lawyers to defend and protect him.” Another pointed out that it isn’t “good for any president of the United States to undermine the federal judiciary.” And a third explained “it’s got to be tough to come to work the next day” for Sessions.

As for Collins, she said that “it would be catastrophic if the president were to fire the special counsel.”

“Mr. President, these are Republican senators,” Tapper noted. “Some of whom are considered strong supporters of yours, all of whom want you to succeed. And their message to you on this issue is cut it out.”

Watch the clip above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona

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