It appears the massive shakeups in President Donald Trump’s administration are not over. There is now chatter within Washington, D.C., that Attorney General Jeff Sessions may be out, and would make a lateral move to a new job inside the Administration, at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The move would fill the position once held by John Kelly, who just became Trump’s Chief of Staff after Friday’s dramatic firing of Reince Priebus.
As Fox News reports, the idea is front-and-center and would prevent conservative groups from being too upset:
Could Attorney General Jeff Sessions end up at the Department of Homeland Security?
It’s an idea some political observers have been debating after President Trump announced Friday that John Kelly, who leads the department, would replace Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff.
Here’s how the theory goes: The president has been lashing out at Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia meddling investigation. Sessions would be able to continue his work against illegal immigration as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. And then the president would appoint someone else to the Department of Justice who would then fire Robert Mueller as special counsel in the Russia probe.
Dana Perino, the former White House press secretary under George W. Bush, argued such an arrangement could placate conservatives who would be outraged if Sessions was ousted from the administration.
“Conservatives that came to Jeff Sessions’ defense this week all said, ‘But he’s doing the best on the issue we care about most and that is immigration.’ Well, where can Jeff Sessions do even more on immigration? As the secretary of Homeland Security,” Perino said Friday on Fox News’ “The Five.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted his support for Sessions, while opposing the rumored job change. Graham opined, “AG Jeff Sessions has a good ring to it. Highly qualified, committed to the rule of law, tough on crime, and fiercely independent.” Then added, “DHS Secretary Jeff Sessions doesn’t sound right, doesn’t feel right. Bad idea.”
AG Jeff Sessions has a good ring to it.
Highly qualified, committed to the rule of law, tough on crime, and fiercely independent. (1/2) https://t.co/nwt2pi1iYc
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 29, 2017
DHS Secretary Jeff Sessions doesn’t sound right, doesn’t feel right.
Bad idea. (2/2) https://t.co/nwt2phJHzC
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 29, 2017
Graham also said there would be “hell to pay” if Sessions is fired:
Graham on Thursday issued a warning to Trump if he were to let go of Sessions.
“If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay,” Graham said outside a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday.
The two served in the Senate together before Sessions joined the Trump administration.
If Trump were to remove Sessions from the Justice Department, he would find it difficult to confirm a replacement anytime soon. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a tweet this week that “no way” would his committee hold a hearing for a new attorney general nominee this year.
Of course, these rumors were pushed by anonymous sources to Politico – “department staffers” – so they should certainly be taken with a grain of salt.
[totalpoll id=”109454″]
What would you think about President Trump moving Sessions to DHS? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us.
