Jeff Sessions: Trump's criticism 'hurtful' but 'he wants all of us to do our job'

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called President Donald Trump's weeklong rant against him 'hurtful,' but qualified his remark by noting that Trump's job entitled him to do so.

Sessions addressed Trump's attack in an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Thursday night.

"Well ... it's kind of hurtful but the President of the United States is a strong leader," Sessions said. "He is determined to move this country in the direction that he believes it needs to go to make it great again."

"And he has had a lot of criticism and he's steadfast determined to get his job done and he wants all of us to do our job and that's what I intend to do," Sessions continued.

Sessions has been a frequent target of Trump's scorn in recent days, following an interview with The New York Times last week in which the president expressed disappointment that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Trump then launched into a multiday campaign against Sessions on Twitter, where he referred to Sessions as "beleaguered" and criticized his decisions at the Justice Department.

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers," Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

Trump declined to speculate on the future of Sessions' position as the nation's top law-enforcement official during a Tuesday news conference.

"I'm very disappointed with the attorney general, but we will see what happens," Trump said. "Time will tell. Time will tell."