Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday went off-script during a speech to praise Rod Rosenstein shortly before the release of a GOP-authored memo reportedly targeting the deputy attorney general. During his remarks at a Department of Justice event on sex-trafficking issues, Sessions thanked Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, saying, “Those two—Rod and Rachel—are Harvard graduates, they’re experienced lawyers. Rod had 27 years in the department. Rachel’s had a number of years in the department previously and so they both represent the kind of quality and leadership that we want in the department.” President Trump has reportedly viewed the memo—even before ever reading it—as a way to build a public argument against Rosenstein’s handling of the Russia probe.