Trump: I wish I picked someone other than Jeff Sessions for attorney general

President Donald Trump openly admitted on Wednesday that he wished he'd chosen someone other than Jeff Sessions for the position of attorney general.

What's the background?

Trump's comments come on the heels of a New York Times report that said Trump attempted to sway Sessions to reverse his decision to recuse himself from all decisions pertaining to any investigation of the Trump campaign, including special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

According to the Times report, Trump allegedly asked Sessions to protect him during the investigation.

The report alleged that Trump purportedly felt that he would be able to exert more of a positive influence over Sessions than he might be able to over Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Rosenstein would eventually go on to appoint special counsel Mueller.

So what's Trump saying now?

Trump, in a series of tweets, discussed a Fox News interview with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) in which Gowdy said that Trump regretted selecting Sessions for attorney general.

During the interview, Gowdy said, "I think what the President is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward."

"If I were the President and I picked someone to be the country’s chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, 'Oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office,' I would be frustrated too and that’s how I read that," Gowdy added. "'Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you.' There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, [Trump] could have picked somebody else!"

You can see video of Gowdy's interview here.

On Twitter, Trump quoted Gowdy's remarks about the president's option to choose a different attorney general, writing, "I wish I did!"

Rep.Trey Gowdy, “I don’t think so, I think what the President is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the President and I picked someone to be the country’s....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

....chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, ‘oh by the way I’m not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too...and that’s how I read that - Senator Sessions, why didn’t you tell me before I picked you.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

....There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!” And I wish I did!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018