Trump blames Sessions for 'Russian Witch Hunt Hoax'

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Did AG Sessions do President Trump a favor by recusing?

Reaction from John Yoo, former deputy assistant attorney general under President George W. Bush on 'Fox News @ Night with Shannon Bream.'

President Trump blamed Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday for the ongoing “Russian Witch Hunt Hoax,” noting that he “would have quickly picked someone else” as the nation's chief law officer if he knew of Sessions’ decision to “recuse himself.”

The president suggested that Sessions, who was involved in the Trump campaign, “knew better than most that there was No Collusion.”

“The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn’t tell me he was going to recuse himself…I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined…and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion!” Trump tweeted early Tuesday.

The president’s tweet is just the latest blow to Sessions. Last week, Trump said he wished he had appointed someone else to lead the Justice Department, following comments made by House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who suggested there “are lots of really good lawyers in the country. He could have picked someone else.”

Trump quoted Gowdy’s remarks, and concluded: “And I wish I did!”

Trump has been highly critical of Sessions ever since his recusal, blasting the former senator for not launching full-blown investigations into Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and officials like fired FBI Director James Comey and fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Upon Sessions’ recusal, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein took control of the Russia probe, ultimately appointing Mueller to investigate allegations of potential collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

Last month, the president demanded that the Justice Department investigate revelations that an FBI informant was in communication with at least three Trump campaign associates — George Papadopoulos, Sam Clovis, and Carter Page. The president has dubbed these new revelations as “Spygate.”

Rosenstein instructed the Justice Department inspector general to investigate any alleged “impropriety or political motivation” in the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates.