Voters don't expect "purity" from Donald Trump — just "somebody strong enough to take on Washington," GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions said Sunday.
In an interview with ABC News'
"This Week," on Sunday the Alabama lawmaker said a
New York Times story on Trump's relations with women over the years is party of "People digging in to everything he’s done for all these years."
"But people have not expected purity on his part," Sessions said. "What they’re concerned about, they’re deeply concerned about is this: somebody strong enough to take on Washington. Will he challenge the establishment? Will he end the illegality in immigration? Will he insist on trade agreements that lift our economy, increase manufacturing? And will he stand up to the elites? "
On those issues, Sessions said the GOP presumptive presidential candidate is already performing "and the people are responding."
"He’s appealing to the new group of voters, bringing in voters Republicans haven’t had in eight years, the ones necessary to win an election," he asserted, citing polls showing Trump competitive in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio.
Sessions was also part of a closed-door meeting with Trump by Senate leaders last Thursday, and called it "a good, positive meeting. "
"He talked. They talked," he said. "Explained concerns they had. He responded appropriately. It was just — not tense. An afterwards, people came around him and gathered and him and talked informally. I was pleased with that."
"I think he's already being more careful about some of the things he says," Sessions added.
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