Will Trump Fire Sessions?

President Trump has once again set sights on his Attorney General. In response to Jeff Sessions' decision to have the Inspector General investigate the FBI for its handling of FISA applications. Trump stated on Twitter:

Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!

Hours later, Sessions responded with a statement of his own:

As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution.

In July 2017, Trump threw Sessions under the bus in a New York Times interview when he blasted his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation noting that he would have named another appointee had he known of Sessions' position. At the time, conservatives pushed back on Trump's criticism and the President moved on to other targets.

But this is now the second time that Trump has publicly undermined Sessions and this time Sessions is talking back. Surely Trump will see this as a challenge to his authority even if Sessions is in the right here. Surely Trump will see this as an act of insubordination on Sessions' part. It would not surprise me if Trump gives Sessions his walking papers within the next 48 hours. I can't see Trump letting Sessions getting away with this statement. If Trump doesn't fire Sessions, he will be viewed as weak leader who lets his appointees push him around.

Of course, it is entirely possible that Trump wants to fire Sessions. But it is equally possible that his advisers will move heaven and earth to talk him out of such a decision. After all, Hope Hicks has just resigned as White House Communications Director 24 hours after admitting to the House Intelligence Committee she told "white lies" on behalf of Trump while denying those lies concerned Russian interference in the 2016 election. Firing Sessions would demonstrate a White House out of control and a President with no clothes.

If Sessions does stay on it will only be a matter of time before Trump publicly rebukes him again. If that happens it will be strike three on Sessions.