That President Donald Trump is unhappy about the ongoing Russia inquiry is well established. Even more assured among Washington D.C.’s many rumors, however, is the apparent fact that Trump was most displeased with Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to formally recuse himself from all things pertaining to Russia. Beginning in June, numerous reports about and public statements by the president seemed to confirm the notion, especially when he described Sessions as “beleaguered.” The attorney general told reporters he wasn’t going anywhere, and so far that has remained the case.

According to the New York Times, however, the precise nature of Trump’s anger at Sessions was far more extreme that previously reported. For instead of considering, then outright refusing resignation, it seems the attorney general was on the receiving end of the president’s wrath:

The president blamed the appointment of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, on Mr. Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation — a move Mr. Trump believes was the moment his administration effectively lost control over the inquiry. Accusing Mr. Sessions of “disloyalty,” Mr. Trump unleashed a string of insults on his attorney general.

Described as “[a]shen and emotional” by White House officials familiar with the scene who spoke anonymously with the Times, Sessions then “told the president he would quit and sent a resignation letter” to the president. Trump ultimately did not accept the resignation, and when former Homeland Security John Kelly took over as the president’s chief of staff, he reportedly told Sessions his job was safe. Seeing as how Sessions reportedly told colleagues the episode was one of the “most humiliating experience in decades of public life,” whether or not he chooses to stay on and serve as one of Trump’s many spokespeople remains to be seen.

(Via New York Times)