Subject: Jeff Sessions Describes How Donald Trump Caught His Attention

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is speaking out — at length — about how presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump first caught his notice in 2005, and why he endorsed him over Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz for president.

“Well, I had met Trump once before when he testified before a committee that Sen. Tom Coburn and I hosted to deal with the excessive expenditures to refurbish the U.N. building in New York,” Sessions said, adding that the projected cost for the project was $1 billion. Trump had built Trump Tower in Manhattan for $200 million and didn’t know why it would cost five times as much for renovations.

“I could do it for $500 million, what they’re going to spend $1.6 billion for. The only difference is my job would be better,” Trump had said at the time in 2005.

“He was a magnificent witness,” Sessions said on Glenn Thrush’s “Off Message” podcast. “The reporter who asked me about his testimony said: ‘Sessions gushed about his testimony.’ But it was remarkable. It was clear. He knew exactly how you should refurbish a building. He pointed out event after event that were wasteful, and he promised if it were given to him he would save the U.N. $1 billion in doing it.”

Trump came by Sessions’ office to visit with the senator and his staff after delivering his testimony, Sessions said. “That was really the first time.”

Eleven years later, Trump launched his presidential bid and again Sessions took notice: Trump developed similar nationalist views on immigration and attracted crowds of shocking size only two months after announcing his run.

“I had not been in any way involved in planning the event in Mobile [Alabama],” Sessions said. “And I had something else to do, but it became clear that it was going to be such a big event, that I should be there.”

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