Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said Monday it's a bit "unseemly" for President Donald Trump to publicly criticize Attorney General Jeff Sessions, especially since Sessions was an early and loyal backer.
Trump's disappointment with Sessions showed up again on Monday when he tweeted that the "beleaguered" attorney general should be among those probing Hillary Clinton's "crimes" and "Russia relations."
Trump last week told The New York Times he never would have nominated Sessions had he known he would recuse himself from the investigation into Russian influence since Sessions himself had talked to Russian officials during the campaign.
"Whatever you've read and whatever you've heard about the president being really, really mad that Sessions recused himself is true times two," Limbaugh said. "He was genuinely livid over it."
Limbaugh said that while there is plenty of blame to go around in Sessions' recusal, which led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, Trump needs people like Sessions on his team.
"Sessions is a by-the-book attorney general, a by-the-book legal mind," Limbaugh said. "That's, I think, one of the bones of contention here because it's arguable that he didn't need to recuse himself."
Still, he added, it's "a little bit discomforting, unseemly for Trump to go after such a loyal supporter this way. Especially when Sessions made it obvious he's not gonna resign."
Limbaugh said the statement to the Times was likely an invitation to resign, but Sessions didn't take it, instead doubling down on how much he loves the job and intends to keep doing it.
For that reason, Limbaugh said, Trump is likely going to have to fire Sessions if he doesn't resign on his own after the latest swipe.
Limbaugh made the comments amid reports that Trump is interviewing former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to replace Sessions. Giuliani later told CNN he has no intention of taking over as attorney general and that he actually agrees with Sessions' decision to recuse himself.