Irreconcilable differences

Jeff Sessions is out as Attorney General. His ouster was inevitable. He and President Trump have irreconcilable differences about the role of the AG.

Sessions believes it’s the Attorney General’s job to enforce federal law; advance the president’s agenda on law enforcement, immigration, civil rights, etc.; and conduct himself ethically at all times.

Trump believes it’s the Attorney General’s job to be his wingman.

Trump wouldn’t have needed a wingman if he hadn’t stupidly kept slimy egomaniac James Comey on as FBI director. Had he shown a modicum of good judgment, Trump would have ousted Comey in roughly as prompt a relationship to Inauguration Day as Sessions’ ouster is to Election Day. In that event, Comey’s firing would not have led to the appointment of a special counsel.

But Trump erred and thus wants his Attorney General to be a wingman. Jeff Sessions isn’t that guy. Trump is right about this.

Sessions was, however, an excellent Attorney General. At Breitbart, John Bender describes ways in which Sessions advanced the president’s America First agenda:

1. Ending Obama’s DACA Amnesty.

2. California over Sanctuary State Law.

3. American Asylum Reforms.

4. Cracking Down on Discrimination Against Americans.

5. Building a “Legal Wall” to Block Illegal Immigration.

6. Increasing Rejection Rate of False Asylum-Seekers.

NumbersUSA, a leader in the fight against illegal immigration, said this:

On behalf of the eight million members of our on-line network,NumbersUSA is grateful for Attorney General Sessions’ years of service to our nation. He has never wavered from his dedication to the rule of law, and he has done more to enforce our immigration laws than any other Attorney General. His commitment to moving us toward an immigration policy that truly serves our national interest and protects American jobs and wages is inspirational.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation, the leading group battling for voting integrity, said this:

Attorney General Sessions will hopefully leave a lasting legacy on the Department and law enforcement in general. During his tenure, he reversed a dangerous trend of selectively and often politically enforcing federal voter protections. He returned enforcement to equal aspects of the Voting Rights and National Voter Registration Acts for the benefit of all. He led the DOJ to course-correct multiple litigation positions ranging from voter ID, redistricting, voter list maintenance, and more–all to eventual success before the Supreme Court and Appellate Circuits. General Sessions has done more in two years than most can accomplish in four or more.

Rick Manning, head of Americans for Limited Government, said:

Thank you, Jeff Sessions for serving as our nation’s Attorney General in a time of strife. Your determination to focus the Justice Department on fighting the opioid crisis, illegal immigration and the drug cartels which plague our nation have been highlights of Trump administration’s first two years. Additionally, Attorney General Sessions has been prescient in his attempts to use our nation’s anti-trust laws to rein in the consolidation of media power through a few massive companies. Americans for Limited Government will miss the General Sessions’ steady hand at the helm of the Justice Department as he dealt with almost two years without many of the key political appointees needed to run an agency of that size.

President Trump will be hard-pressed to find a replacement who can match Jeff Sessions’ accomplishments on behalf of the Trump agenda. And I question whether finding such a replacement is Trump’s primary objective here.