A video of former Deputy US Attorney General Sally Yates' 2015 confirmation hearing foreshadows the events that led to her firing by President Donald Trump on Monday.
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The video resurfaced after Yates was dismissed for telling Justice Department employees she was not convinced Trump's executive order targeting immigrants and refugees was lawful.
During Yates' 2015 confirmation hearing, Jeff Sessions, the Alabama senator, whom Trump would later nominate as his attorney general, asked Yates, "Do you think the attorney general has a responsibility to say no to the president if he asks for something that's improper?"
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.Yates, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, said, "Senator, I believe that the attorney general or the deputy attorney general has an obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and to give their independent legal advice to the president."
Watch the moment:
Trump fired Yates on Monday after she defied him on his immigration order. A statement released by White House press secretary Sean Spicer called her objections a betrayal.
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Sessions has been one of Trump's most vocal supporters. Observers have questioned whether he would remain neutral if he were to be confirmed by the Senate.
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