Maggie Haberman: "I asked people close to Trump why he's tormenting Sessions instead of firing him"

[Miles Archer]

Maggie Haberman? Verified account
@maggieNYT

I asked two ppl close to Trump why he is tormenting Sessions instead of firing him. The answer from both, paraphrased: Because he can.
5:33 AM - 25 Jul 2017

Link to tweet

[madaboutharry]

1. It is because he is a sociopath.

[Cicada]

2. Why would Sessions care?

Sessions is highly intelligent. He knows Trump has deranged views. Disapproval from Trump doesn't reflect poorly on anyone. Sessions will no doubt do his job as he sees fit so long as he can, no doubt understanding Trump is highly abnormal.

[DefenseLawyer]

6. Exactly how did you come to the conclusion that Jeff Sessions is "highly intelligent"?

I've never seen him say or do anything that didn't make me think that he's dumb as a post.

[Cicada]

8. Former US Attorney so he is highly intelligent

He graduated from the U,of Alabama law school. Only a smart person could do that. Then he got hired by the US Attorney office, and they only hire above average lawyers, it is somewhat selective. Then after 6 years they promoted him to run the office, so he was no doubt smarter than the average lawyer there.

He is ignorant about many things, foolish about many, mistaken about many. But he can't be dumb.

[DefenseLawyer]

9. Oh, sorry. I have some bad news for you.

You do not have to be particularly smart to graduate from law school. Dan Quayle is a "distinguished alumnus" of my law school. You can't be illiterate, you probably can't have a learning disability, but there are a lot of dolts that make it through law school. Sessions was head of the Young Republicans in college and was always active in politics and that has as much to do with getting hired as an AUSA as being "smart" does. Plenty of people become AUSAs because they are ambitious, and some are indeed great lawyers, but the idea that they are all brilliant would be an incorrect assumption. I have been dealing the Justice Department attorneys for 25 years and I can tell you that some are really sharp and some are anything but.

As far as being appointed U.S. Attorney, that is a political appointment, and no, being appointed U.S. Attorney does not indicate that he was smarter than average. It indicates that he had the right political connections.

[cwydro]

12. Thank you.

Spot on.

[Kaleva]

13. I would say Sessions and Quayle are much smarter then I am.

[DefenseLawyer]

14. I would say you are giving a couple of idiots way too much credit. n/t

[Cicada]

15. Don't underestimate opponents

You argue that some lawyers are dim. I'm gonna bet on the base rate absent strong proof to the contrary. The median LSAT score of those at UA law school is 90th percentile, I just read. And those who take the LSAT are generally pretty smart. I peg Jeff as in the top 5 percent of IQ, conservatively.

And again relying on base rates as the smart way to bet absent strong evidence to the contrary I would bet Quayle is smarter than is commonly thought.

And Sessions speaks properly and logically. I see no reason to change my view.

[DefenseLawyer]

16. You are certainly entitled to your opinion.

Where would you peg the IQ of Orly Taitz? She is also a law school graduate and a practicing attorney.

[Cicada]

22. Taitz passed the CA bar exam

So she has above average intelligence. She is also a dentist. She also says obviously insane things, probably because doing that causes some people to pay her. I categorize her as a fraud, like Ann Coulter.

Alex Jones' ex wife says he is a fraud, that he knows much of what he says is false.

But again: the smart play is to bet the base rate. I used to gamble as a part time job. I filed a schedule C, always had annual profits of thousands of dollars, never had a losing month, paid income taxes, and I am pretty confident that my view about Sessions is the smart play. Even if I am wrong.

[madinmaryland]

24. Ann coulter passed law school, also.

She was 🦇💩 crazy then, also.

[Goonch]

3. RECUSED

[lindysalsagal]

4. Abusers abuse. Period. Squeeze an apple, get apple juice. This idiot's an abuser.

Anyone who thinks they can work for or with him is a fool. Abusers abuse.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Loyalty is a one-way street for the Madman. He thrives on humiliation.

Am I right, Mitt?

[Doodley]

7. If he fires him to install an AG who can fire Muelller he can be accused of obstruction of justice.

Better for Trump to create a situation in which Sessions resigns.

[ck4829]

10. Fall Guy.

[smirkymonkey]

11. He's a sadistic bastard.

He enjoys toying with people and humiliating them. I don't think Trump has a decent bone in his body.

[Solly Mack]

17. Because he can - and - because Sessions allows it.

[Johonny]

18. And Sessions is taking it because he's a coward

The dude could just walk away...

[flamingdem]

19. Maggie is full of it. Trump wants to get rid of Sessions and it's easier if he quits.

Then he can replace him and get Mueller fired.

DUH

[Renew Deal]

20. Sessions should come out and say there is evidence of collusion

"because he can"

That will change things up

[MiddleClass]

21. Couldn't be more obvious, torment him, doesn't quit, torment him a lot more, doesn't quit, keep it u

Don the con needs to stop Mueller. If tell sessions to fire, and the answer is no, you must fire sessions.

If he fire sessions, Congress might finally grow a pair, seeing what he's doing. If not,

if he torments him enough, Jeff session redesigns, Rosenstein redesigns, Mueller, loses mandate.

The Trump criminal enterprise goes on unimpeded. The obvious action of a chickenshit child.

Simple isn't it

[Warren DeMontague]

23. ...because Dwarves hate Elves?