Attorney General Jeff Sessions praised Christopher Wray, President Trump’s choice for FBI director, as an “extraordinary person” who possesses “all the gifts necessary to be a great director of the FBI” amid reports of an increasingly tense relationship between the president and his attorney general.
“I congratulate President Trump for choosing a leader of proven skill, independence, and integrity — a man in whom all Americans can have confidence,” Sessions said Wednesday.
The statement of praise follows reports of recent tension between Trump and Sessions, who has been one of the president’s most loyal supporters and advisers since the presidential campaign.
Earlier this week, the president tweeted criticism of how the Department of Justice has handled the appeals to his so-called travel ban. Following that, White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday wouldn’t explicitly say the president has confidence in Sessions as attorney general, instead saying he hadn’t talked to the president about their relationship
Trump’s reported displeasure with Sessions, dating back to the attorney general’s recusal from the Russia investigation, led to Sessions recently broaching the possibility of resigning, according to multiple reports. Asked about those reports, a Department of Justice spokesman declined to comment to the Washington Examiner.
On Wednesday, following Trump’s announcement that he had chosen Wray to replace fired FBI Director James Corey, Sessions said: “The president asked us to look for an FBI Director who has integrity, who understands and is committed to the rule of law, and who is dedicated to protecting the American people from crime, gangs, and terrorists. We have found our man in Chris Wray.”
