Fox News' John Roberts: When Trump looks at Sessions 'he sees the word recusal pasted on his forehead'

Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts on Friday laid out the “one thing” fueling Donald Trump’s relentless criticism of Jeff Sessions, explaining when the president sees his hand-picked attorney general. “he sees the world ‘recusal’ pasted on his forehead.”

Roberts was speaking with host Shep Smith about Rod Rosenstein’s keynote address Friday at the American Bar Association’s annual white collar crime conference, during which the deputy attorney general reinforced “ethics and professionalism” at the Department of Justice.

“I can assure you the department leadership team appointed by President Trump is very strong on ethics and professionalism,” Rosenstein told white collar lawyers in San Diego.

“The Justice Department's number 2 official is defending the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, after Donald Trump attacked Sessions on Twitter,” Smith reported. “The deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein said history will show that the DOJ acted with integrity under his watch.”

“On this matter, the criticism of Jeff Sessions is about one thing, isn't it?” Smith wondered. “Isn’t just the one thing?”

“Yeah, the one thing is that every time the president sees Jeff Sessions, he sees the word ‘recusal,’” Roberts said. “Because of the fact that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation, which led to the appointment of the special counsel, which goes and on and on from there.”

“But the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, speaking to the American Bar Association, defended the leadership saying he and Jeff Sessions are bound and they're determined to not repeat the mistakes of past leaders at the DOJ,” Roberts added.

“The team that was appointed by President Trump very strong on ethics and professionalism,” Roberts said, quoting Rosenstein. “Let’s see, the president is upset at Jeff Sessions. Again, every time he sees him, he sees the word ‘recusal’ pasted on his forehead. He doesn’t particularly like Rod Rosenstein either, and he doesn't like the way he’s overseeing the [special counsel Robert] Mueller investigation.”

“The best job security that Jeff Sessions has right now is Rod Rosenstein,” Roberts said, adding “Democrats would slow-walk any attempt by the president to nominate somebody to replace Jeff Sessions and install his own political leadership at the Department of Justice.”

“Slow walk like the beltway in morning rush,” Smith surmised. “Hardly moving at all.”

Watch below, via Fox News: