As the White House braces for former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony Thursday, sources tell ABC News the relationship between President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has become so tense that Sessions at one point recently even suggested he could resign.

“Trump’s anger over the recusal has not diminished with time. Two sources close to the president say he lashed out repeatedly at the attorney general in private meetings, blaming the recusal for the expansion of the Russian investigation, now overseen by Special Counsel and former FBI Director Robert Mueller.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer declined to say whether President Donald Trump has confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions, CNN reports.

Said Spicer: “I have not had a discussion with him about that.”

“The press secretary’s striking refusal to reaffirm the President’s confidence in his attorney general came as reports surfaced about the President’s lingering frustrations with his attorney general’s recusal and a day after Trump took to Twitter to critique his own Justice Department, which is led by Sessions.”

“Few Republicans were quicker to embrace President Trump’s campaign last year than Jeff Sessions, and his reward was one of the most prestigious jobs in America. But more than four months into his presidency, Mr. Trump has grown sour on Mr. Sessions, now his attorney general, blaming him for various troubles that have plagued the White House,” the New York Times reports.

“In private, the president’s exasperation has been even sharper. He has intermittently fumed for months over Mr. Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election, according to people close to Mr. Trump who insisted on anonymity to describe internal conversations. In Mr. Trump’s view, they said, it was that recusal that eventually led to the appointment of a special counsel who took over the investigation.”

Playbook: “Imagine if you’re Sessions and gave up a safe Senate seat you held for 20 years — and could’ve held for 20 more — only to work for a president who became frustrated with you after five months on the job.”

“The top Democrats on two powerful House committees are calling for a report on possible disciplinary actions against Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his role in FBI Director James Comey’s firing,” The Hill reports.

“The Democrats say Sessions may have violated his pledge to recuse himself from any investigations involving Russian election interference.”

Politico: “The drama was fresh evidence of Sessions’ role as a critical political player in the Trump cabinet. He has exhibited all the qualities of loyalty Trump most prizes: He was the first senator to endorse him, one of the only members of the upper chamber to embrace him enthusiastically during the presidential campaign, and, as his involvement in the Comey controversy demonstrates, has proved that he is willing to thrust himself into the breach and take political hits to advance the president’s interests.”

“The president has rewarded that loyalty with trust. At the Department of Justice, he now enjoys full authority over the federal law enforcement apparatus.”

The Washington Post reports that President Trump left the White House “in a fury” on Friday, “fuming about Jeff Sessions’s recusal and telling aides that the Attorney General shouldn’t have recused himself” on a story he thought was “bull.”

Jonathan Swan: “To understand Trump’s psychology you need to grasp that the worst sin in Trumpland is to back down. The staff who’ve been with Trump the longest have internalized that fact. Their first instincts in any controversy are to deny and attack. Aides who don’t get Trump enrage him by being too willing to back down. In Trump’s mind, an inch of retreat — even if the facts seemingly demand an apology — is unforgivable.”

Washington Post: “Jeff Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump at a time when few Republican lawmakers supported the candidate. His early and fierce loyalty — and his ability to translate Trump’s nationalist instincts into policy — helped him forge a bond with the president, and he now enjoys access whenever he wants it, a privilege that few get, an official said.”

“Two of Sessions’s former Senate advisers — Stephen Miller and Rick Dearborn — hold key White House roles, and one official said Sessions still talks to them regularly.”

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions, facing a chorus of criticism over his contacts with the Russian ambassador, recused himself Thursday from any investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election,” the New York Times reports.

“His conversations with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, came amid suspected Russian hacking directed at Hillary Clinton’s campaign.”