You would never know it from the way Donald Trump is treating him, but attorney-general Jeff Sessions has been a loyal proponent of the president’s “America First” agenda on immigration and crime.

He has ordered all 94 US attorneys to prioritise criminal prosecutions for immigration violations and championed tougher sentences for violent criminals while vowing to “wholeheartedly join in the priorities of President Trump.” 

Mr Sessions, who early last year gave Mr Trump critical support as the first US senator to endorse his White House bid, may have expected a presidential “thank you”. Instead, Mr Trump in recent days has repaid the attorney-general’s loyalty by assailing him publicly as “beleaguered’ and “weak” and saying that he regretted his hiring.