President Donald Trump should end his "public humiliation" of Jeff Sessions or face the real possibility that he won't last a year in office, Karl Rove wrote in a column for The Wall Street Journal.
The former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush writes that the arrival of a fresh face in Anthony Scaramucci can hopefully result in someone exerting influence over a president whose approval "ratings are sliding because of his own messages and actions, not those of his subordinates."
"One of Mr. Scaramucci's strengths is his relationship with Mr. Trump. He can assist the president most by using his influence to help Mr. Trump resist his worst impulses," Rove writes in the Journal.
"The president could demonstrate that this isn't an impossible hope by ending his public humiliation of Mr. Sessions, which is unfair, unjustified, unseemly and stupid," Rove wrote.
"Mr. Trump should consider how ugly the next six months will be if he continues attacking Mr. Sessions," writes Rove, outlining the potential fallout if Trump fires Sessions:
- "Guarantee that every other message is buried under bad press."
- "Senate Democrats would spend months tormenting that person during confirmation proceedings."
- Republican senators "would raise tough questions."
- A recess appointment would spur a "crisis."
"Mr. Sessions, a decent and principled man, is doing his best to further the Trump agenda and restore the Justice Department's tattered reputation. That the president is publicly shaming him, heedless of the damage it's causing, shows just how vindictive, impulsive and shortsighted Mr. Trump can be," Rove wrote.
"If Mr. Trump continues this self-destructive behavior, he will drown out his message and maybe even blast his presidency to bits before his first year in office is even out," Rove concluded.