Seeking Trump’s Endorsement, Jeff Sessions Slams Impeachment Probe As 'Show Trial'

Jeff Sessions, the former U.S. attorney general, weighed in Wednesday on the ongoing impeachment inquiry into his ex-boss President Donald Trump.

“It does not appear to me that [Democrats] have the kind of evidence that would justify going forward,” Sessions, who resigned at Trump’s request last November, told Fox News host Laura Ingraham of the probe. “I call it a show trial. What’s a show trial? When you decided the person is guilty and then you pretend to have a trial — for show.”

Hours earlier, the first two public witnesses of the inquiry provided testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. One of the witnesses, Bill Taylor, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, dropped a bombshell during the hearing about the role Trump played in pushing Ukraine to launch “investigations” into his political rival, Joe Biden.

Taylor said the president had called Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, the day after his controversial July 25 call with the Ukrainian president.

“Following the call with President Trump, the member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine,” Taylor said in his opening remarks. “Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden which [Rudy] Giuliani was pressing for.”

In his conversation with Ingraham, Sessions ― who recently announced his intention to seek his old Senate seat in Alabama ― suggested the president had not done anything that could be considered an impeachable offense.

“I would just urge our Democratic members of Congress to think deeply about the future of this country, the dangers to the republic that would occur if we continue to prosecute people basically because we don’t like them or have a political disagreement,” he said.

Observers on Twitter mocked Sessions for sucking up to Trump ― who bullied and belittled him as attorney general ― in the hopes the president will endorse him in the coming Senate race.

Sessions told Ingraham that he hopes to win Trump’s approval.

“Certainly I’m going to work for that and will be seeking it. He doesn’t always get involved in primaries so I understand that. And he’s indicated that he probably would not in this one — but yes, I would love to have his support,” Sessions said.

Trump, who was famously enraged with Sessions for recusing himself from the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference, has repeatedly and publicly attacked his former attorney general.

Just last month, the president lambasted Sessions as a “disaster” and “embarrassment;” and The New York Times reported last week that Trump had warned Sessions, via allies, that he would “publicly attack him if he ran” for his old Senate seat.

Sessions hasn’t exactly been discreet in his drive to win Trump’s approval.

He was roundly criticized last week for “groveling” in a campaign video announcing his Senate bid.

“When I left President Trump’s Cabinet, did I write a tell-all book? No,” Sessions said in the clip. “Did I go on CNN and attack the president? Nope! Have I said a cross word about our president? Not one time.”

Sessions went on to praise Trump for doing a “great job” as president. He, however, failed to mention the word “Senate” during the 30-second clip and did not explain what he planned to do for Alabama if he won the seat.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.