UPDATE 2: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders reiterated during Wednesday's press briefing the president's lawyers' claim his tweet saying "Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now" was an opinion and not an order.
UPDATE: Trump's got more.
Possibly trying to shield their client from what looks a lot like attempted obstruction of justice, Trump's lawyers tell The Washington Post the president is just expressing his opinion.
“The president has issued no order or direction to the Department of Justice on this,” Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said, adding that the president is allowed to express his opinion on Twitter.
“I think it’s very well-established the president uses tweets to express his opinion,” added Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani. “He very carefully used the word ‘should.’”
(...)
Though Trump has previously called for an end to Mueller’s probe, Wednesday’s tweets were the most direct aimed at Sessions — and they drew sharp criticism, including from some members of Trump’s own party.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said it “was entirely inappropriate and intemperate” for Trump to make such a request of Sessions.
(...)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a former prosecutor, said Trump’s tweets on Wednesday could help build a case of obstruction of justice against Trump.
“It seems even more vivid and serious evidence of criminal intent to obstruct justice — whether it is obstruction itself or not, it certainly indicated intent,” Blumenthal said. “There is now highly credibly evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes.”
Trump calls Manafort prosecution ‘a hoax,’ says Sessions should stop Mueller investigation (WaPo)
President Trump launched a series of tweets Wednesday morning, calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is recused from the Russia probe, to end the Russia probe.
CNN:
[Trump] has repeatedly criticized Sessions for recusing himself and CNN has previously reported that Trump pressured the attorney general on multiple occasions to overturn his recusal.
As Paul Manafort's trial on 18 charges of bank and tax fraud enters its second day in Alexandria, VA, it's good to remember while Trump tries to minimize Manafort's role with his campaign, the two men have a relationship that dates back to the 1980s when Trump hired Manafort "to lobby on gambling and real estate issues."
Meet Paul Manafort, The Washington Insider Running Trump's Campaign (NPR)