With Trump, the personal beats the political. Trump wanted an attorney general who would protect him like his own lawyer, defending him with the zeal of a Rudy Giuliani, more than he cared about law and order or immigration control. That’s why he defends “loyal” supporters caught up in legal trouble (like Paul Manafort) while leaving Sessions to twist in the wind.

The problem is this interferes with both Trump’s ability to hire “only the best people” and get the loyalty he demands. What person committed to Trump’s brand of conservatism is going to want to take professional risks to serve him after seeing how shabbily Sessions was treated? Even if they believe some elements of the Trump-Russia investigation have been mishandled and the Justice Department should be more responsive to House oversight, they have to wonder how much fealty to Trump’s platform will be rewarded.

If Trump wonders why he has associates like Michael Cohen and Omarosa Manigault Newman who surreptitiously tape and then “flip” on him, he only has to look at his constant tweets about Sessions.