Trump blames Sessions as Republicans charged ahead of midterm elections

US President Donald Trump's annoyance with Attorney General Jeff Session came to the front on Monday afternoon when he tweeted, "Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff... The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now.”

Trump attacked the attorney general blaming him for charges against two congressmen which according to him has jeopardised Republican chances in the November 6 midterm elections.

Trump did not mention the name of the congressmen who were charged. But last month Duncan Hunter, a California representative, was charged with misuse of campaign funds while Chris Collins of New York was indicted for insider trading – over a share tip alleged to have been made in 2017, when Trump was in power.

These two men were Trump's first supporters in the House. While Hunter plans to run for re-election, Collins is stepping down.

Incidentally, Sessions was also one of Trump's earliest supporters. Session was attacked by Trump in 2017 for his decision to recuse himself from probe into the Russian election interference. Special council Robert Mueller was later on appointed for the investigation by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump has called the probe a "witch hunt".

Trump indicated last week that he would fire Sessions after the midterm elections, a move some observers said might presage the firing of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein and the special counsel, Robert Mueller, whose work on links between Trump aides and Moscow has circled ever closer to Trump’s inner sanctum.

On Monday, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a frequent Trump critic, said: “The United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice – one for the majority party and one for the minority party.

“These two men have been charged with crimes because of evidence, not because of who the president was when the investigations began.”