1:32
- ABC News
- March 2, 2017
Top Senate Dem wants Sessions to resign for 'good of the country'
Like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer wants attorney general to step down.
According to a Justice Department official, Sessions' meetings with ambassadors were in his capacity as a senator on the Armed Services Committee and about relations between the two countries.
But one of the Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. McCaskill, said that she has never held a call or a meeting with the Russian ambassador.
\"I’ve been on the Senate Armed Services Committee for 10 years, and in that time, have had no call from, or meeting with, the Russian ambassador,\" McCaskill said in a statement released this morning. \"Ever. That’s because ambassadors call members of Foreign Relations Committee. Attorney General Sessions should resign.”
But in light of tweets that surfaced today showing McCaskill had, in fact, met with the ambassador in a group setting, the senator clarified that she has never had a one-on-one meeting with Kislyak, as Sessions did.
She responded on Twitter about her old tweets, arguing that “4 years ago went to meeting of many Senators about international adoptions. Russian Amb also attended,” and, “Again, As senior member of Armed Serv, never received call or request from Russian Amb for meeting. Never met one on one w/him.”
4 years ago went to meeting of many Senators about international adoptions. Russian Amb also attended.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) March 2, 2017
Again, As senior member of Armed Serv, never received call or request from Russian Amb for meeting. Never met one on one w/him.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) March 2, 2017
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said on Twitter that the attorney general should resign \"if it turns out Sessions lied under oath.\"
If it turns out Sessions lied under oath, he of course will be sbjct to criminal prosecution & shld immediately resign. #ResolutionofInquiry https://t.co/Lw3oDdv62x
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) March 2, 2017
Many other lawmakers have stopped short of calling for resignation, but argued that the attorney general should recuse himself from leading Justice Department investigations over the alleged links between Russian officials and Trump officials, as well as Russia's purported involvement in influencing the 2016 election.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., said in a statement that \"the attorney general cannot, in good faith, oversee an investigation at the Department of Justice and the FBI of the Trump-Russia connection, and he must recuse himself immediately.”
Likewise, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., tweeted that Sessions \"should recuse himself from investigations into Russia.\"
Top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., also called for Sessions to recuse himself and said that President Trump should appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged Russian interference into the election.
Attorney General @jeffsessions should resign immediately. His testimony was at best intentionally misleading and at worst perjury. https://t.co/aMQcdnnZVB
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) March 2, 2017
Republican reactions have been mixed. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Oversight Committee chair Jason Chaffetz both said that Sessions should recuse himself, while other Republicans are defending Sessions.
“With the notion that there was something somehow wrong with a senior senator on the armed services committee meeting with a foreign ambassador -- I think it’s a nothing burger,\" Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said this morning on MSNBC.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/top-senate-democrat-chuck-schumer-joins-calls-sessions/story?id=45847098","legacySlug":"/news/story/top-senate-democrat-chuck-schumer-joins-calls-sessions-45847098","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"17:34","publishDate":"03-02-2017","updatedTime":"19:40","updatedDate":"03-02-2017","socialImage":{"alt":"Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 23, 2016, to discuss the Supreme Court's immigration ruling. ","credit":"Alex Brandon/AP Photo","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/AP_Jeff_Sessions2_MEM_160701_1_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"3/2/2017 17:34:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":45847098,"headline":"Top Senate Dem wants Sessions to resign for 'good of the country'","mediaAssetTitle":"KUTSCH_Sessions_Resignation_Calls_170301","description":"Like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer wants attorney general to step down.","duration":"1:32","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170302_vod_orig_schumer_asks_sessions_resignation_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Top Senate Dem wants Sessions to resign for 'good of the country'","description":"Like Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chuck Schumer wants attorney general to step down.","duration":"1:32","uploadDate":"03-02-2017","publication":"03-02-2017","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170302_vod_orig_schumer_asks_sessions_resignation_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170302_vod_orig_schumer_asks_sessions_resignation_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/top-senate-democrat-chuck-schumer-joins-calls-sessions-45847098"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Top Senate Dem wants Sessions to resign for 'good of the country'","pubTime":"12:34","pubDate":"03-02-2017","modTime":"14:40","modDate":"03-02-2017","taxonomyTags":"none","id":45847098,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Top Senate Dem wants Sessions to resign for 'good of the country'","mediaAssetTitle":"KUTSCH_Sessions_Resignation_Calls_170301","videoId":45847098,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/top-senate-democrat-chuck-schumer-joins-calls-sessions-45847098"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/45847098","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/45847098","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};