US President Donald Trump said he was "disappointed" with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but declined to say he would fire him, the media reported.
"I am disappointed in the Attorney General.
He should not have recused himself, " Trump said during a joint news conference with the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday, hours after firing off his latest missive targeting Sessions.
"If he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me prior to taking office and I would have quite simply picked someone else, " CNN quoted the President as saying.
Pressed further on whether he wants Sessions to resign, Trump simply added once more that he is "very disappointed" in Sessions.
Trump said he also hopes Sessions will crack down on what "leaks" from various intelligence agencies.
"I want the Attorney General to be much tougher on the leaks from intelligence agencies, " Trump said.
"These are intelligence agencies.
We cannot have that happen. "
Earlier in the day, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci defended Trump's public critiques of Sessions, saying Trump "wants his Cabinet secretaries to have his back".
Trump tweeted on Monday and Tuesday to call his Attorney General "beleaguered" and "VERY weak, " raising the specter that he may soon seek to push Sessions off his perch atop the Justice Department.
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