Sen. Chuck Schumer demanded that Attorney General Jeff Sessions resign after the government confirmed the Justice Department chief had spoken to the Russian ambassador last year, contradicting testimony he'd given during his Senate confirmation hearing.

"Already his integrity and independence have been questioned," Schumer said at a press conference Thursday. "It would be better for the country if he resigned."

He added, "Let's get a real investigation going."

Schumer's remarks were echoed by leading Democratic lawmakers. A few top Republicans, including Sen. Rob Portman and Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Kevin McCarthy, said Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into what went on.

Sessions indicated in an NBC News interview that he would recuse himself, even as he called accusations that he met with Russians to discuss Donald Trump's presidential campaign "unbelievable to me" and "false."

The Trump administration is standing by Sessions, at least for now. A Justice Department spokeswoman said "there was absolutely nothing misleading" about his answers during his confirmation hearing.

One quipster tweeted a photo of Sessions with the caption: 

"I did not have international relations with that country." pic.twitter.com/8LokclAYsK

The line was a riff on President Bill Clinton's answer when he was first asked about his dalliances with Monica Lewinsky two decades ago.

The last attorney general to resign under pressure was Alberto Gonzalez, who left in 2007 after overseeing the firing of several federal prosecutors who had declined to bring a case against enemies of the George W. Bush administration.

Sen. Chuck Schumer demanded that Attorney General Jeff Sessions resign after the government confirmed the Justice Department chief had spoken to the Russian ambassador last year, contradicting testimony he'd given during his Senate confirmation hearing.

"Already his integrity and independence have been questioned," Schumer said at a press conference Thursday. "It would be better for the country if he resigned."

He added, "Let's get a real investigation going."

Schumer's remarks were echoed by leading Democratic lawmakers. A few top Republicans, including Sen. Rob Portman and Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Kevin McCarthy, said Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into what went on.

Sessions indicated in an NBC News interview that he would recuse himself, even as he called accusations that he met with Russians to discuss Donald Trump's presidential campaign "unbelievable to me" and "false."

The Trump administration is standing by Sessions, at least for now. A Justice Department spokeswoman said "there was absolutely nothing misleading" about his answers during his confirmation hearing.

One quipster tweeted a photo of Sessions with the caption: 

"I did not have international relations with that country." pic.twitter.com/8LokclAYsK

The line was a riff on President Bill Clinton's answer when he was first asked about his dalliances with Monica Lewinsky two decades ago.

The last attorney general to resign under pressure was Alberto Gonzalez, who left in 2007 after overseeing the firing of several federal prosecutors who had declined to bring a case against enemies of the George W. Bush administration.

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