--- title: Jeff Sessions: Attorney General Won't Resign Despite Trump description: Jeff Sessions said he would continue to serve as Attorney General, despite President Trump's recent criticism. canonical: https://time.com/4866280/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-resign-recuse/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-20T15:05:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T16:38:46.201Z article:section: Politics og:title: Jeff Sessions Says He Won't Resign Despite Trump Criticism og:description: The Attorney General says he'll serve "as long as appropriate" og:url: https://time.com/4866280/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-resign-recuse/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt90a47f8ffe062186/6988d677bc6cfc6e513e2513/gettyimages-819430620.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: AG Jeff Sessions Announces Int'l Cybercrime Enforcement Action At Justice og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jeff Sessions Says He Won't Resign Despite Trump Criticism twitter:description: The Attorney General says he'll serve "as long as appropriate" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt90a47f8ffe062186/6988d677bc6cfc6e513e2513/gettyimages-819430620.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'We Love This Job.' Jeff Sessions Says He Won't Resign Despite Trump Criticism > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 20, 2017 3:05 PM UTC  U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions holds a news conference to announce an 'international cybercrime enforcement action' at the Department of Justice July 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions holds a news conference to announce an 'international cybercrime enforcement action' at the Department of Justice July 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 20, 2017 3:05 PM UTC Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday that he plans to continue in his role despite recent criticism from President Donald Trump. “I have the honor of serving as Attorney General. It goes beyond any I thought I would have had for myself,” said Sessions at a press conference announcing a [major cybercrime bust](http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/342904-doj-takes-credit-for-dark-net-markets-demise). “We love this job, we love this department, and I plan to continue doing so as long as appropriate.” Sessions’ comments come after Trump [told The New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/trump-interview-transcript.html) on Wednesday that it was “unfair” Sessions had recused himself from Justice Department investigations into Russia’s potential involvement with the 2016 presidential campaign. “Sessions should have never recused himself,” said Trump, “and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.” Sessions [recused himself](http://time.com/4689877/recuses-meaning-jeff-sessions-donald-trump/) from the Russia investigation in March following [revelations](http://time.com/4688982/jeff-sessions-russia-contact-campaign/) that he had met twice with Russia’s then-ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, a fact he failed to disclose during his confirmation hearings. The matter then fell to Sessions’ deputy, Rod Rosenstein. In May, Rosenstein [wrote a memo](http://www.npr.org/2017/05/19/529147240/rosenstein-on-comey-memo-i-wrote-it-i-believe-it-i-stand-by-it) suggesting that Trump fire former FBI Director James Comey, who had been running the FBI’s Russia investigation. Trump fired Comey shortly thereafter. Rosenstein later appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel tasked with investigating any links between the Trump campaign and Russia. While speaking to the _Times_, Trump also expressed displeasure with Rosenstein. Trump noted that Rosenstein is from Baltimore, where there are “very few Republicans.” Trump also said Rosenstein’s Comey memo represented a conflict of interest. “Perhaps I would have fired Comey anyway, and it certainly didn’t hurt to have the letter,” said Trump. “But \[Rosenstein\] gives me a very strong letter, and now he’s involved in the case. Well, that’s a conflict of interest” When asked Thursday about Trump’s comments, Rosenstein said that he’s “proud to work here today, and I’ll be proud to work here tomorrow.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4866280/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-resign-recuse/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4866280/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-resign-recuse/"},"headline":"'We Love This Job.' 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