Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 March 2018
In public spat, Trump taunts Sessions, AG doesn’t keep quiet

By SADIE GURMAN forever, has no prosecuto-
Associated Press rial power and already late
WASHINGTON (AP) — Harsh- with reports on Comey etc.
ly criticized yet again by his Isn’t the I.G. an Obama
boss, Attorney General Jeff guy? Why not use Justice
Sessions on Wednesday Department lawyers? DIS-
abandoned his usual stony GRACEFUL!” Sessions an-
silence and pushed back swered hours later, saying
against President Donald his department had taken
Trump for saying Sessions’ the appropriate step and
response to Republican “will continue to do its work
complaints about the FBI in a fair and impartial man-
was “disgraceful.” ner according to the law
Sessions gave no sugges- and Constitution.”
tion he would step down in It was hardly the first time
light of the charge made the president has aired his
on Twitter and insisted he gripes against Session over
would “continue to dis- the Russia probe.
charge my duties with in- The former Alabama sena-
tegrity and honor.” tor, an early supporter of
Trump’s latest tirade stems Trump’s candidacy, has
from a comment Sessions endured a year’s worth of
made Tuesday, when he Attorney General Jeff Sessions, center, talks to Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., and others, as they Trump’s wrath in order to
suggested the Justice De- wait for the ceremony to begin honoring Reverend Billy Graham in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol hold onto the job he had
partment’s inspector gen- building, Wednesday, Feb. 28, in Washington. long desired.
eral will evaluate whether (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) But even for Trump, who
prosecutors and FBI agents cations of a onetime Trump pressure from congressio- Trump tweeted: “Why is once called the attorney
wrongly obtained a war- campaign associate. Ses- nal Republicans, who, like A.G. Jeff Sessions asking general “beleaguered,”
rant under the Foreign In- sions had asked the watch- Trump, have fumed about the Inspector General to Wednesday’s volley ele-
telligence Surveillance Act dog office to review the what they believe to be investigate potentially mas- vated the rhetoric to a new
to monitor the communi- complaints in response to bias within the FBI. sive FISA abuse. Will take level.q

Trump calls for quick action on school safety, guns

By LISA MASCARO The White House meeting the pre-purchase reviews revived in the Senate to crats appealed to Trump to
MATTHEW DALY came amid fresh public to online and gun show close the gun show and on- use his influence on Capitol
Associated Press debate over gun laws, fu- sales. Legislation has been line sales loophole. Demo- Hill.q
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- eled by student survivors of
dent Donald Trump said the massacre at Florida’s
Wednesday that Congress Marjory Stoneman Doug-
should act quickly on gun las High School, who have
laws as he convened law- been meeting with law-
makers at the White House makers on Capitol Hill. The
and pushed for tougher school reopened Wednes-
background checks, bet- day for the first time since
ter school safety and more a 19-year-old’s Valentine’s
mental health resources to Day assault killed 17.
prevent shootings. Momentum on gun legis-
“We can’t wait and play lation has stalled in Con-
games and nothing gets gress as Republican lead-
done,” Trump said as he ers showed little interest in
opened the session with pursuing stricter gun con-
17 House and Senate law- trol laws and Democrats
makers. “We want to stop pushed new restrictions fol-
the problems.” lowing the Florida shooting.
Trump particularly cited the Sen. Chris Murphy, D-
need for stronger back- Conn., told the president
ground checks, which that if he backed legisla-
have been resisted by Re- tion in Congress to expand
publicans in Congress and background checks, as
the National Rifle Associa- proposed under a bill twice
tion. But the president said rejected in the Senate, it
he told NRA officials over would pass. “It is going to
lunch recently that chang- have to be you,” Murphy
es in gun culture are need- said. Ahead of the ses-
ed. “Hey, I’m the biggest sion, Senate Democrats
fan of the Second Amend- urged the president to fol-
ment,” Trump said. low through on his call for
“It’s time,” he said he told “comprehensive back-
the NRA officials. “We have ground checks” by endors-
to stop this nonsense.” ing legislation to extend