Trump Backer Jeff Sessions Goes From Gadfly to Major Player
- Alabama senator lines up with nominee on trade and immigration
- A Senate outsider, Sessions has new chance to gain influence
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama speaks at a hearing in Washington on June 4, 2015.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A year ago, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was a lonely voice in his party and a minor player on Capitol Hill. After the year of Donald Trump, he’s heading to the Republican convention on the ride of his political life.
Trump’s triumph over the Republican Party has taken Sessions, who will speak at the convention in Cleveland Monday night, from party gadfly to trusted adviser for the potential president, counseling him on policy and his vice presidential pick, while taking rides on the billionaire’s Boeing 757.