Donald Trump launches fresh assault on Jeff Sessions as Attorney General clings to job

Mr Sessions was the first US senator to publicly support Mr Trump's White House run

Mr Sessions was the first member of the upper chamber to back Mr Trump's campaign (Getty)

Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on his Department of Justice, even as his Attorney General seeks to cling on to his job.

Amid mounting speculation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions will have little option but to stand down, Mr Trump launched another broadside by social media against his own cabinet member.

“Why didn't AG Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation,” he said on Twitter. “But but got big dollars ($700,000) for his wife’s political run from Hillary Clinton and her representatives. Drain the Swamp.”

Mr Trump’s tweets are just the latest attack on a member of his team who has displayed intense loyalty to the President. As a senator for Alabama, Mr Sessions was the first member of the US Senate to offer public support for Mr Trump’s campaign. By joining the cabinet, he gave up a safe senate seat.

Mr Trump made clear in an interview to the New York Times last week, that he was angry with Mr Sessions for recusing himself from a probe into possible links between the campaign and Russia. Mr Trump said the official’s decision was very “unfair” and that he would not have selected him for the job had he known was going to act that way.

Observers believe that Mr Sessions’ behaviour has made it harder for Mr Trump to fire special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is heading the federal probe.

At the same time, it is unclear why Mr Trump does not simply fire Mr Sessions if he wants to get rid of him.

Mr Sessions has indicated that he plans to stay put. On Wednesday, it was reported he was carrying out an investigation into the government leaks that have so infuriated Mr Trump.

“Yeah. I think he has got a plan that he’s put together and at some point, I don’t know if it will be today, tomorrow or next week, he will announce that plan,” White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told Fox News.

Yet, Mr Scaramucci has also indicated he thinks Mr Sessions will have to.

“It’s clear the president wants him gone, right,” he was asked by conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt.

Mr Scaramucci responded: “I have an enormous amount of respect for the attorney general, but I do know the president pretty well, and if there’s this level of tension in the relationship that, that’s public, you’re probably right.”