No I’ve been very harsh on Sessions but the political calculus back in 2017 showed the best course of action was taken.
Trump had a hostile, a very hostile Senate. Although McConnell was and still is the Senate Majority Leader, he could not get the votes aligned like he would have wanted. There were too many nasty Never-Trumpers in the GOP Senate and they had a following.
Jess Sessions was at least a person that the GOP Senate knew, He had been part of their club.
Trump barely got Sessions confirmed. If he had chosen any other, it would have been worse except for Rosenstein whose wife is part of the Deep State network. Rosenstein got confirmed easily. He is the one that stabbed POTUS in the back, not Sessions.
If Sessions had not recused himself after promising he would during his confirmation hearings, the Senate would have had their first case where Sessions went back on his word which is NOT how he operates.
As it was POTUS had to deal with a nasty Senate and Sessions was there recused and knowledgeable about the Senate ‘club’.
Back then I was screaming Sessions should resign! But that would have done nothing except let Rosenstein run wild with everything and it would have left POTUS with acting appointments which was not a bad choice but acting appointments are limited to 210 days. That throws out timing and long term strategizing.
If Sessions had not promised to recuse himself from the Russia bullsh*t, the next nominee would also have been forced to recuse if there had been any contact with Russians. And if another appointment had been made to take Sessions place, the Senate would not have appointed until they were convinced the nominee would do their bidding and not the President’s.
Idiotic backstabbing GOP Senators like McCain, Flake, etc. were all in with the stupid Russia-collusion BS. Some of them actually thought there was something to the Russia-collusion narrative. It was blasting away on CNN everyday. Idiots in the Senate would shame anyone that thought to call the Russia-Collusion crap for what it was, which was bullshit. None of the GOP Senators knew enough to call it what it was in 2017, 2018. There was a special counsel, and CNN blasting away daily, constituents calling in expressing anger that the Russians had interfered and rigged the election or whatever.
And over on the other side, the House, a corrupt little weasel of a politician named Paul Ryan was ready to fire the kill shot (impeach) at Trump if he was asked.
What a mess.
It’s a miracle and a testament to Trump’s fortitude in the face of darkness among powerful evil people, that he overcame it all.
But Sessions was not evil, he was not an enemy, he was supportive to a certain extent. He just didn’t have the courage in him to match Trump’s courage. Sessions was a ‘Senate’ member of that club. That’s his world and he always voted conservative to show his constituents back home that they could expect him to vote conservative and he did so at every opportunity.
Therefore, Sessions is not going to engage in any betrayal or backstabbing of the President if he wins the Senate seat.
Sessions was always good for conservatives when he was in the Senate, he will be the same if he wins.
I see no other candidates that appear as reliable as Sessions. POTUS needs that Alabama seat for the GOP bad. If Sessions can reel it in, POTUS will be better off.