Attorney General Jeff Sessions: l'm Staying Until Trump Wants Otherwise

WASHINGTON, DC — Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he'll continue to serve as long as President Donald Trump wants him to.

Sessions told The Associated Press Thursday in El Salvador that Trump has every right to find another attorney general and said he serves "at the pleasure of the president."

"I've understood that from the day I took the job," Sessions said. (For more information on this and other White House stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Sessions has been publicly berated by Trump for a week, fueling speculation that he would be fired or step down. Trump is upset that the attorney general recused himself months ago from the investigation into interactions between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

Sessions acknowledges this hasn't been the "best week" in his relationship with Trump, but said he and Trump have a "harmony of values and beliefs."

The Senate Judiciary Committee is working on legislation that could attempt to insulate Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired.

A Republican and two Democrats said Thursday they're among committee members working on legislation that would prevent the firing of special counsels without judicial review. They are Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

A Graham spokesman said the senator's still working on the bill, and it's unclear when it will be introduced.

Graham has sternly warned Trump not to fire Mueller or Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He said Thursday there would be "holy hell" to pay if Trump fired Sessions.

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates as they come in.

Photo credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press