There’s a bit of chaos in the nation’s capital as news breaks that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is heading to the White House. Some of the reports imply that Rosenstein expects to be fired. Other outlets say he is expecting to be fired, so is actually preempting that decision by submitting his resignation.
Fox, and others, note that the move comes “in the wake of a report that he suggested wearing a wire against President Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office last year.”
Axios is more specific with their claim. “Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly in anticipation of being fired by President Trump, according to a source with direct knowledge. Per a second source with direct knowledge: ‘He’s expecting to be fired,’ so he plans to step down.”
Statement from Andrew McCabe re: Rosenstein rumors: pic.twitter.com/1Zki2BdZEi
— Melissa Schwartz (@MSchwartz3) September 24, 2018
This is an especially controversial firing/resignation. Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is heading up Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. He took over that role when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.
Rosenstein continues to deny the allegations that he advocated the attempt to remove Trump from office by invoking the 25th Amendment.
Here's a quick recap on the news surrounding Rosenstein, a Republican and career federal prosecutor who served in Baltimore before being nominated by Trump to serve as the Justice Department’s number two official. pic.twitter.com/q2ZbZ0fGsK
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 24, 2018
“The New York Times’s story is inaccurate and factually incorrect,” Rosenstein said in a statement. “I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”
If Rosenstein is fired, both parties should support immediate legislation to prevent the President from ending the Mueller investigation.
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) September 24, 2018
Others, though, claim to have witnessed the event. One told Fox that the “statement was sarcastic and was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president.”
Sarcastic or not, the revelation was not well received by President Trump.
Depending on the circumstances of why Rod Rosenstein is being forced out and the intent of @POTUS, this could be another act of Obstruction of Justice by @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/gZ3svNgnMF
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 24, 2018
Many of Trump’s detractors feel like Rosenstein is the last roadblock against the President’s ability to manipulate the Russian investigation.
In the event that Rosenstein quits or is fired, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco would take over Russian probe.