From NBC News:
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump's counsel and multiple other White House officials tried to talk Attorney General Jeff Sessions out of recusing himself from the Russia investigation, a senior U.S. official told NBC News, amid reports the effort was orchestrated by Trump himself.
In the weeks before Sessions recused himself from the probe in March, White House Counsel Don McGahn and other White House officials called him and urged him not to disqualify himself from running the probe, the senior official said.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Trump ordered McGahn to prevent Sessions from recusing, because Trump wanted an attorney general who could protect him from what he viewed as an improper inquiry.
(my bold)
www.nbcnews.com/…
The article doesn’t say who besides McGahn tried to talk Sessions out of recusing. But the fact that there were others makes it harder for Trump to claim that he was merely voicing a casual personal preference. No, this was a concerted, full-court press to obstruct justice, reportedly orchestrated by Trump himself.