Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — As President Donald Trump’s frustration over the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s presidential election and the legal battle over his travel ban executive order continues to mount, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has reportedly borne the brunt of his criticism in private meetings.
The situation between Trump and Sessions has declined to the point that Sessions recently offered to tender his resignation from his Department of Justice post, not even six months into his tenure, sources told ABC News.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions suggested he could resign amid rising tensions with President Trump.
Here is a look at the relationship between Trump and Sessions, and the actions that have influenced its decline:
Feb. 28, 2016: Sessions endorses Trump
Sessions formally endorsed Trump’s candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination just days ahead of Super Tuesday, becoming the first sitting senator to do so. Trump’s outsider bid continued to build momentum in the weeks leading up to the endorsement as the real estate mogul captured primary and caucus victories in three of the first four contests.
“I told Donald Trump, ‘This isn’t a campaign. This is a movement,’ ” said Sessions in a speech in Alabama announcing the endorsement.
March 3, 2016: Sessions named chair of Trump’s national security advisory council
Trump appointed Sessions to an official position on his campaign team, naming the Alabama senator the head of his national security advisory council.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to recommend and facilitate discussions among exceptional and experienced American military and diplomatic leaders to share insight and advice with Donald Trump, regardless of their political views,” said Sessions in a release announcing the appointment.
April 27, 2016: Sessions and Russian ambassador attend Trump speech
In a moment that would later be heavily scrutinized, Sessions attended a foreign policy address given by Trump at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Also in attendance was Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. In 2017, as Kislyak’s interactions with members of the administration — including Sessions and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn — became public, the White House pushed back on suggestions Kislyak met with Trump at the speech.
“To state they met or that a meeting took place is disingenuous and absurd,” said a senior White House official in March of 2017.
July 18, 2016, and Sept. 8, 2016: Sessions meets with Kislyak
Sessions met with Kislyak on at least two occasions in 2016. The first came during an event at the Republican National Convention hosted by the Heritage Foundation, where the Russian ambassador was among a small group of diplomats with whom the Alabama senator spoke. The second was a meeting in Sessions’ Washington, D.C., office that was also attended by staff members.
Though the Department of Justice would later categorize the meetings as routine, given Sessions’ responsibilities as a senator, the encounters would play a role in Sessions’ recusal as attorney general from all investigations related to Russian interference in the presidential election.
Nov. 18, 2016: Trump nominates Sessions to be attorney general
To the displeasure of some Democrats who questioned Sessions’ record on civil rights and failed 1986 nomination to serve as a U.S. district court judge, Trump tapped Sessions to serve as his attorney general.
Jan. 10, 2017: Confirmation hearing comments
Sessions was questioned by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) about what he would do as attorney general if evidence emerged that members of the Trump campaign communicated with Russia.
“Sen. Franken, I’m not aware of any of those activities,” Sessions said. “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.”
After Sessions’ meetings with Kislyak became public, he maintained that he did not answer Franken dishonestly because the discussions came in his capacity as a senator and not as a representative of the campaign.
Trump himself later said in a statement that Sessions “could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not intentional.”
March 2, 2017: Recusal from campaign-related investigations
As pressure built over his meetings with Kislyak, Sessions announced that he would not participate in any ongoing or future inquiries into matters related to the presidential election.
“Let me be clear: I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign,” Sessions said to reporters. “And the idea that I was part of a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries to the Russian government are false.”
Earlier in the day, Trump said he had “total” confidence in Sessions and didn’t believe the attorney general should recuse himself.
June 5, 2017: Travel ban frustration
Trump’s frustration over his stalled plan to limit travel and immigration from a number of Middle Eastern and African countries boiled over as he unleashed a series of tweets seemingly blaming the Justice Department — charged with defending the ban in court — with the revised order’s “watering down.”
The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
The Justice Dept. should ask for an expedited hearing of the watered down Travel Ban before the Supreme Court – & seek much tougher version!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
June 6, 2017: Sources say Sessions recently offered to resign
ABC News learns that Sessions recently offered to resign as Trump continued to express frustration with the attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from the election-tampering investigation.
During the day’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer, in response to questioning on whether Trump has confidence in Sessions, said, “I have not had that discussion with [President Trump].”
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