WASHINGTON – Minnesota Sen. Al Franken has been outspoken in his criticism of President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, previously calling into question the honesty of both men. Now Franken is doubling down on his accusations.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” on Friday, Franken took shots at both Trump and Sessions. When asked by host Chuck Todd if Sessions was no longer fit to run the Justice Department, Franken accused the attorney general of perjury.
“I think that he did not answer truthfully under oath,” Franken said during the “Meet the Press” interview. “We were very dissatisfied, Democrats on the committee, with his response about why he withheld or why he gave us misinformation. His letter in response was terrible, an insult.”
When asked plainly if he thought Sessions lied to Congress, Franken replied, “Yeah, I think he did.”
The accusations started after Sessions’ heated confirmation hearing earlier this year. Franken used his opportunity to vet the potential attorney general to accuse Sessions of stretching the truth on his civil rights record. Franken also accused Sessions of misrepresenting his own record by exaggerating his involvement in four civil rights cases.
During the “Meet the Press” interview, Franken, author of the book “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right,” also took a swing at Trump.
“I think he’s devalued the presidency. I think that people go like ‘Gee, anyone now can be president,’” Franken told Todd. “You know, even his supporters said—well, don’t take him literally, take him seriously. This guy can’t say anything, almost anything, without lying. That’s a very sad state of affairs.”
This is not the first time Franken has attacked the president’s character. In an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Franken said the president “lies a lot” and it is “not the norm for a president.”
Watch the full “Meet the Press” interview here.
