Reports are now surfacing that President Trump is considering firing Rod Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General.
President Donald Trump is considering firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, multiple people familiar with the discussions tell CNN, a move that has gained urgency following the raid of the office of the President’s personal lawyer.
Such an action could potentially further Trump’s goal of trying to put greater limits on special counsel Robert Mueller.
This is one of several options — including going so far as to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions — Trump is weighing in the aftermath of the FBI’s decision Monday to raid the office of Michael Cohen, the President’s personal lawyer and longtime confidant. Officials say if Trump acts, Rosenstein is his most likely target, but it’s unclear whether even such a dramatic firing like this would be enough to satisfy the President.
Trump has long been angry at top Justice Department officials, who he feels have not done enough to protect him from Mueller’s ongoing probe. But two sources said the raid could mark a tipping point that would prompt the President to take more aggressive action against the special counsel.
The report goes on
Firing Mueller could throw Trump’s presidency into crisis and not all of Trump’s legal advisers are on board. One source said Rosenstein wouldn’t be fired.
But some of Trump’s legal advisers are telling him they now have a stronger case against Rosenstein. They believe Rosenstein crossed the line in what he can and cannot pursue. And they consider him conflicted since he is a potential witness in the special counsel’s investigation because he wrote the memo that justified firing former FBI Director James Comey. The legal advisers also believe they have successfully argued to the American public that the FBI is tainted and think they can make the same case against Rosenstein.
A senior administration official said the White House has been discussing potential options with key congressional Republican leaders, fearful of “blindsiding them.” A person familiar with the conversations says a top congressional Republican advised the White House not to fire Rosenstein.
This news comes after the reports that Micheal Cohen, Trump’s lawyer was raided by the FBI. Due to Attorney Jeff Sessions recusal Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein is the only person with oversight over special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Rosenstein due to the fact Mueller is increasingly going farther and farther away from a Russia collusion case in his mind. If Trump does fire Rosenstein it will almost certainly be taken as a sign to many who want to protect Mueller that Trump is moving to fire him as well.
