It was the scoop heard round the Twitter-sphere. Axios reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had resigned, but then we learned that Rosenstein would meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss his future.
From The New York Times:
The announcement came just hours after the revelation that Mr. Rosenstein was considering resigning, which set off a flurry of speculation about who would replace him at the Justice Department, where Mr. Rosenstein oversees the Russia investigation.
Ms. Sanders, in a statement, said that Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Trump had “an extended conversation” about the reports — including the fact that Mr. Rosenstein had discussed secretly taping the president. She said the two men will meet on Thursday when the president returns to Washington from New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Over the weekend, Mr. Rosenstein called a White House official and said he was considering quitting, and a person close to the White House said he was resigning. On Monday morning, after again calling John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, to discuss the prospect of his resignation, Mr. Rosenstein headed to the White House to meet with Mr. Kelly.
Were Trump to fire Rosenstein for reasons related to the Russia investigation—for example, if he wanted to replace the deputy attorney general with someone willing to shut Mueller down—that, too, could constitute obstruction of justice, legal experts told me. With the Times story, however, Trump was handed a justification for firing that, on its face, is unrelated to Rosenstein’s handling of the Mueller probe. That’s despite reporting from The Washington Post that Rosenstein’s comment about recording Trump was made in jest in response to McCabe’s suggestion that the Justice Department investigate Trump after he dismissed Comey.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Rosenstein had discussed wearing a wire, and invoking the 25th Amendment regarding President Trump.
Is Rosenstein getting fired or is he resigning? This take from The Atlantic has some analysis.
Were Trump to fire Rosenstein for reasons related to the Russia investigation—for example, if he wanted to replace the deputy attorney general with someone willing to shut Mueller down—that, too, could constitute obstruction of justice, legal experts told me. With the Times story, however, Trump was handed a justification for firing that, on its face, is unrelated to Rosenstein’s handling of the Mueller probe. That’s despite reporting from The Washington Post that Rosenstein’s comment about recording Trump was made in jest in response to McCabe’s suggestion that the Justice Department investigate Trump after he dismissed Comey.
What’s the future of the Mueller probe, now that Rosenstein’s fate is in question?
*Produced by Morgan Givens. Text by Gabrielle Healy.
GUESTS
Shane Harris, Intelligence and national security reporter, The Washington Post; Future of War fellow, New America; author, “At War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex” and “The Watchers: The Rise of America’s Surveillance State”‘; @shaneharris
For more, visit https://the1a.org.
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