President Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, officials say, and launched a fresh Twitter tirade against the man who was the first US senator to endorse his candidacy.
The president's anger over Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the government's investigation of Russian meddling in the US election burst into public view on Monday when he referred to Sessions in a tweet as "beleaguered".
Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president.
Trump earlier in July assailed Sessions in a New York Times interview for taking himself out of the Russia probe, saying that if he had known Sessions would choose that course he would not have installed him at the Justice Department.
Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through so those who have spoken with the president cautioned a change might not be imminent or happen at all.
"So why aren't the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?" the president tweeted on Monday.
His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, travelled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians.
Trump's rapid-fire tweeting resumed at daybreak Tuesday, with the president wondering aloud about Sessions' "VERY weak" position on "Hillary Clinton crimes".
In another post to his Twitter account, Trump claimed, without providing evidence: "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump campaign - quietly working to boost Clinton. So where is the investigation A.G."
Trump's intensifying criticism of Sessions has fuelled speculation that Sessions might resign even if Trump opts not to fire him.
During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down.
The attorney-general said last week he intended to stay in his post.
