Sessions after Trump criticism: FBI ‘fulfilling a fabulously important role’

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday praised the FBI after President Trump called FBI work on specific cases “disgraceful” earlier in the day. 

“Well I don’t share the view that the FBI is not functioning at a high level all over the country,” Sessions told reporters. 

“So I would just say it that way, and in my view, the FBI has huge national security requirements, but it’s also fulfilling a fabulously important role working to fight against violent crime also,” he continued. 

The attorney general also praised the president for speaking to the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., on Friday. 

{mosads}”He spoke to them today, the first time a president in 47 years has spoken to the FBI at Quantico, their graduating police academy class. He made clear that he supports them 100 percent in their activities and that we are going to be a law enforcement administration that helps the law enforcement be successful,” he said. 

Sessions was asked about Trump’s remarks about the FBI earlier in the day, when he said the way the FBI handled recent cases was “really, really disgraceful.”

Trump referred to “documents” handled by the FBI in an apparent reference to texts that revealed anti-Trump bias by two agents working on the federal probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

“Well, it’s a shame what’s happened with the FBI. But we’re going to rebuild the FBI. It will be bigger and better than ever,” the president said. 

Tensions between the FBI and the Trump administrations have increased in recent months after the president fired former Director James Comey in May. 

The president tore into the FBI earlier this month when he said the bureau’s reputation was “in tatters” in a tweet. 

After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017

“It’s a shame what’s happened with the FBI. But we’re going to rebuild the FBI; it’ll be bigger and better than ever,” the president told reporters at the White House on Friday before speaking at the academy.