Flashback: 12 times Trump has ripped Sessions on Twitter

President Trump’s feud with Attorney General Jeff Sessions escalated this week, with multiple GOP senators saying they expect the president to fire his attorney general, likely after the November midterm elections.

Trump has long voiced frustration with Sessions’s decision in March 2017, a month after being installed as attorney general, to recuse himself from all probes involving Russia and its attempts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.

But their relationship took a new turn on Thursday when Sessions fired back at Trump following sharp criticism from the president. Sessions declared in a rare statement, “While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.”

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Trump has used that line in a series of tweets over the past few days to hammer Sessions, tying it to the president’s criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe and other Justice Department (DOJ) figures who have been lambasted on the right.

The president’s criticism of Sessions has also escalated in recent weeks, with Trump sending more tweets addressing his attorney general in August than any previous month.

Here are 12 major times Trump has criticized Sessions on Twitter:

July 2017: ‘Our beleaguered A.G.’

Trump has long sought to shift attention away from the federal Russia probe and toward Democrats, repeatedly urging the Justice Department to make them a focus.

In a tweet last summer, the president referred to the attorney general as “beleaguered” in pushing for the shift in federal scrutiny.

So why aren’t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017

So many people are asking why isn’t the A.G. or Special Council looking at the many Hillary Clinton or Comey crimes. 33,000 e-mails deleted?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2017

July 2017: Sessions ‘VERY weak’ on Clinton’s alleged ‘crimes’

Trump has repeatedly called out Sessions’s personnel decisions, urging him to “drain the swamp” and investigate his former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

He also pushed the attorney general to crack down on leaks coming out of the administration and offered praise for his efforts on the issue in August 2017.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017

Why didn’t A.G. Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation but got….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

…big dollars ($700,000) for his wife’s political run from Hillary Clinton and her representatives. Drain the Swamp!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

February 2018: ‘Ask Jeff Sessions’ about Obama’s efforts to stop Russia

The president earlier this year sought to pressure the Justice Department and Sessions to investigate the Obama administration over Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s push came after Mueller had secured guilty pleas from several former Trump campaign officials.

February 2018: Trump launches ‘DISGRACEFUL!’ attack

Trump slammed his attorney general over past potential surveillance abuses, saying it was “disgraceful” that Sessions had directed the Justice Department’s inspector general, and not DOJ lawyers, to probe allegations that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was improperly used to monitor members of his transition team.

April 2018: ‘Good luck with that’

Trump voiced exasperation with Sessions earlier this year while alluding to his past calls for the attorney general to investigate the president’s former political rivals.

“GOP Lawmakers asking Sessions to Investigate Comey and Hillary Clinton.” @FoxNews Good luck with that request!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018

May 2018: ‘I wish I did’ pick another AG

The president signaled his growing anger over the Russia investigation in May by saying publicly that he regretted picking Sessions — one of Trump’s earliest congressional backers and a staunch ally — to lead the Justice Department.

Rep.Trey Gowdy, “I don’t think so, I think what the President is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the President and I picked someone to be the country’s….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

….chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, ‘oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too…and that’s how I read that – Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

….There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!” And I wish I did!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

“The recusal of Jeff Sessions was an unforced betrayal of the President of the United States.” JOE DIGENOVA, former U.S. Attorney.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn’t tell me he was going to recuse himself…I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined…and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018

As I head out to a very important NATO meeting, I see that FBI Lover/Agent Lisa Page is dodging a Subpoena & is refusing to show up and testify. What can she possibly say about her statements and lies. So much corruption on the other side. Where is the Attorney General? @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2018 

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

August 2018: Sessions ‘scared stiff and Missing in Action’

Trump has repeatedly slammed Sessions over several Justice Department officials who have drawn intense scrutiny on the right. 

The president recently knocked Sessions in a series of tweets going after former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele and others over a controversial dossier of unverified claims about Trump’s ties to Russia.

Trump accused Sessions of being “scared stiff and Missing in Action.”

The big story that the Fake News Media refuses to report is lowlife Christopher Steele’s many meetings with Deputy A.G. Bruce Ohr and his beautiful wife, Nelly. It was Fusion GPS that hired Steele to write the phony & discredited Dossier, paid for by Crooked Hillary & the DNC….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2018

….Do you believe Nelly worked for Fusion and her husband STILL WORKS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF “JUSTICE.” I have never seen anything so Rigged in my life. Our A.G. is scared stiff and Missing in Action. It is all starting to be revealed – not pretty. IG Report soon? Witch Hunt!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2018

August 2018: ‘So unfair Jeff, Double Standard’

Following a rare statement from Sessions pushing back on criticism from Trump, the president took to Twitter to call on Sessions to “look into all of the corruption on the ‘other side.’ “

“Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!” Trump wrote.

He also accused the Sessions of having a “double standard” at the DOJ following a conviction for someone who was accused of leaking classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents.

“Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants, so look into all of the corruption on the “other side” including deleted Emails, Comey lies & leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018

….FISA abuse, Christopher Steele & his phony and corrupt Dossier, the Clinton Foundation, illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign, Russian collusion by Dems – and so much more. Open up the papers & documents without redaction? Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018

Ex-NSA contractor to spend 63 months in jail over “classified” information. Gee, this is “small potatoes” compared to what Hillary Clinton did! So unfair Jeff, Double Standard.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018

August 2018: Sessions ‘doesn’t understand what is happening’

Trump repeated his pledge Saturday that he “may have to get involved” after accusing the FBI of ignoring emails in its Clinton probe, which ended in 2016.

The president also claimed that Sessions “doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command” while attacking the special counsel probe.

Jeff Sessions said he wouldn’t allow politics to influence him only because he doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command position. Highly conflicted Bob Mueller and his gang of 17 Angry Dems are having a field day as real corruption goes untouched. No Collusion!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2018

.@LindseyGrahamSC “Every President deserves an Attorney General they have confidence in. I believe every President has a right to their Cabinet, these are not lifetime appointments. You serve at the pleasure of the President.”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2018

Big story out that the FBI ignored tens of thousands of Crooked Hillary Emails, many of which are REALLY BAD. Also gave false election info. I feel sure that we will soon be getting to the bottom of all of this corruption. At some point I may have to get involved!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2018