The President's desire was relayed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions by White House Chief-of-Staff John Kelly last Wednesday - putting the Trump White House at odds with the DOJ - which said that releasing the classified memo written by congressional republicans "extraordinarily reckless" without allowing the Department of Justice to first review the memo detailing its own criminal malfeasance during and after the 2016 presidential election. 

The decision to release the memo ultimately lies with congress.

Somehow WaPo knew that Kelly and Sessions spoke twice last Wednesday - once in person during a "small-group afternoon meeting" and again that night over the phone. 

Trump "is inclined to have that released just because it will shed light," said a senior administration official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity to recount private conversations. "Apparently all the rumors are that it will shed light, it will help the investigators come to a conclusion."