'Russia, Russia, Russia': Trump tears into Sessions ahead of runoff against Tuberville in Alabama

President Donald Trump continued his effort to derail Jeff Sessions' bid to return to the Senate, telling Alabama voters he "made a mistake" in choosing him to be attorney general on the eve of a runoff election between Sessions and former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville.

Sessions was one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump in 2016. He and Trump agreed on the importance of curtailing illegal immigration and Sessions gave up his Senate seat to become attorney general after Trump's unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton. But their relationship soured just a few months after Trump took office when Sessions recused himself from the investigation into Russian election interference, leading to the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel.

"I will tell you, I got to know Jeff Sessions very well," Trump said Monday in a conference call with GOP activists which he joined with Tuberville, according to The New York Times and AL.com. "I made a mistake when I put him in as the attorney general. He had his chance and he blew it.

"He recused himself right at the beginning, just about on day one of a ridiculous scam, the Mueller scam, the Russia, Russia, Russia scam. And Jeff didn’t have the courage to stay there. He didn’t know about Russia. He had nothing to do, but he immediately ran for the hills. "

Trump told voters that if they elect Tuberville, their new senator "is going to have a cold, direct line into my office. That I can tell you."

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"I will tell you that Tommy Tuberville is going to do a job like you haven’t seen," Trump said. "He’s going to take over and he’s going to be representing you and representing you well."

In the course of touting Tuberville's talent as a coach, Trump mistakenly referred to University of Alabama coach Nick Saban as former NFL coach Lou Saban, who died in 2009.

In response to the president's remarks, Sessions' spokesman John Rogers told AL.com, "Tommy Tuberville is on the ballot, not Donald Trump."

"Jeff Sessions is completely vetted, and he is the best qualified man to fight for Alabama in the U.S. Senate. Jeff Sessions loves this state and he has the toughness, knowledge, and experience to deliver for Alabama," Rogers said.

Sessions has painted himself as the veteran Republican best able to unseat Sen. Doug Jones, who won Sessions' former seat in a special election against former judge Roy Moore.

Jones is considered the most vulnerable incumbent Democratic senator heading into November and polling indicates both Tuberville and Sessions would be heavy favorites against him. But Rogers argued Tuberville has a "scandal-ridden past that Doug Jones would exploit to the hilt if Tommy were the Republican nominee."

Tuberville has said he was vetted in his years coaching football and assailed Sessions as a Washington insider he failed to stand up for Trump. And in a radio interview Monday, he said Trump's support would be needed in November.

"You gotta have President Trump on your side, really, to have a great chance to beat the Democrat," he said.

Trump's endorsement could carry a lot of weight in Alabama, a conservative state Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points in 2016. It is also the state that gives Trump the highest job-approval marks, according to a Morning Consult tracking poll.

"Big Senate Race in Alabama on Tuesday. Vote for @TTuberville, he is a winner who will never let you down," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "Jeff Sessions is a disaster who has let us all down. We don’t want him back in Washington!"

"I’ve taken the road less travelled. Not sought fame or fortune. My honor and integrity are far more important than these juvenile insults," Sessions tweeted in response. "Your scandal ridden candidate is too cowardly to debate. As you know, Alabama does not take orders from Washington."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump rips Jeff Sessions on eve of Alabama runoff against Tuberville