Sen. Jeff Sessions: Paul Ryan Needs To Support Donald Trump

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions speaks at Washington Update breakfast at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. Monday morning Oct. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Bob Gathany, AL.com)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), one of the first lawmakers who endorsed Donald Trump, said in a recent interview that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) needs to back Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.

“I think he needs to recognize, on some of these issues, Trump is where the Republicans are and if you’re going to be a Republican leader you should be supportive of that,” Sessions said, referring to Ryan, on an interview with Politico’s “Off Message” podcast published Tuesday morning.

Sessions argued that Republican leaders need to accept the candidate chosen by Republican voters.

“My advice is to listen and accept the will of the American people, the Republican voters – the Republican Party is the Republican voters,” he said.

The senator later added that all party leaders typically “adjust to reality.”

“They just have to or they won’t remain in office,” Sessions said

He also told Politico that Trump is going to outperform former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney with minority voters because of his economic message.

“Trump is going to appeal better to African Americans, Hispanics, and others than previous Republican candidates because he’s talking about what they want: a fair chance to have a better life economically,” Sessions.

And during a discussion about Trump and race, Sessions argued that Trump’s calls for a wall along the United States’ border with Mexico will not turn off voters.

“I just don’t think there’s that many people who think it’s wrong to have control on our borders. That’s not racism,” he said. “It’s not racism to question some of the political correctness today that’s going on.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. How odd that a man with such deep ties to the KKK and White Citizens Councils like Sessions would support a racist thug like Trump. Vicious swine–both of them.

  2. Sessions - Put the hood and robes on Paulie, it is your destiny.

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    “I think he needs to recognize, on some of these issues, Trump is where the Republicans are and if you’re going to be a Republican leader you should be supportive of that,” Sessions said,

    In other words, if you’re going to be a leader, you have to be a follower.

  4. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    “My advice is to listen and accept the will of the American people, the Republican voters – the Republican Party is the Republican voters,” he said.

    Since when? In typical bait and switch form, the Party riles up the base on social issues to win elections, then once in office, turns around to pass laws to benefit their corporate overlords.

    Except this time, the base is onto that game…and selected the establishment’s nightmare. Of course, Sessions is no mainstream figure…he’s a far right radical.

  5. Avatar for jc jc says:

    There are many things that embarrass me about my home state of Alabama. Sen. Jeff Sessions is one of them.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

54 more replies

Participants

Avatar for doremus_jessup Avatar for mahniah Avatar for fgs Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for sysprog Avatar for smiley Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for dont Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for arc_of_the_universe Avatar for rb639 Avatar for 538liberal Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for azjude Avatar for darrtown Avatar for pshah Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for firewing2 Avatar for canary02 Avatar for yail_bloor Avatar for centralasiaexpat

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: