Page 3 - AT

A3
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018

Not firing Rosenstein, Trump says; 'very good relationship'

By ERIC TUCKER and JONA- rector Robert Mueller to his
THAN LEMIRE post and closely oversees
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- his work.
dent Donald Trump said "I didn't know Rod before,
Monday he has no plans to but I've gotten to know
fire Deputy Attorney Gen- him," Trump said at the
eral Rod Rosenstein, de- White House. "I look for-
livering a reprieve for the ward to flying with him. It'll
Justice Department official be very nice."
whose future has been the The Justice Department
source of intense specula- has denied that Rosenstein
tion for two weeks. had proposed invoking the
Trump told reporters at the 25th Amendment of the
White House that he had "a Constitution and issued a
very good relationship" with statement that said the re-
Rosenstein and was eager mark about recording the
to speak with him aboard president was meant sar-
Air Force One on a flight castically.
to Florida for the Interna- Even so, Rosenstein told
tional Association of Chiefs White House officials that
of Police conference. They he was willing to resign and
did talk, for about 45 min- arrived at the White House
utes, but not alone, a White at one point with the ex-
House spokesman said. pectation that he would be Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein boards Air Force One in the rain, Monday, Oct. 8, 2018,
The group discussed violent fired. He met in person with in Orlando, Fla.
crime in Chicago, support White House chief of staff Associated Press
for local law enforcement, John Kelly and spoke by
border security, the police phone with Trump during a to Trump curtailing Mueller's
chiefs' conference they tumultuous day that ended probe. Although Trump has
were flying to and "general with him still in his job. at times criticized his depu-
DOJ business," spokesman Rosenstein and Trump ty attorney general, he has
Hogan Gidley said without had been expected to reserved his sharpest verbal
elaboration. meet at the White House attacks for Attorney Gen-
"The press wants to know, days later, but that meet- eral Jeff Sessions, who re-
'What did you talk about?'" ing was put off so that the cused himself from the Rus-
Trump said later to an audi- president could focus on sia investigation in March
ence of police officials. "But a confirmation hearing of 2017 because of his own
we had a very good talk, I Supreme Court nominee earlier involvement with the
will say." Brett Kavanaugh. Trump Trump campaign.
The flight provided an op- had previously said that he Both men will likely see their
portunity for their most ex- would prefer not to fire the futures re-evaluated after
tensive conversation since Justice Department's No. 2 the elections, Trump advis-
news reports last month official and that Rosenstein ers have said.
that Rosenstein had dis- has told him he did not say Besides the meeting with
cussed the possibilities in the remarks attributed to Trump, Rosenstein has also
early 2017 of secretly re- him. Advisers had also cau- agreed to a private meet-
cording Trump to expose tioned Trump against doing ing with House Republicans
chaos in the White House anything dramatic in the who want to question him
and invoking constitutional weeks before the midterm about his reported state-
provisions to get him re- elections next month. ments on the president.q
moved from office. Kelly was present for Mon-
Those reports triggered an day's conversation be-
avalanche of speculation tween Rosenstein and
about the future of Rosen- Trump, the White House
stein — and also the spe- said, as was Rosenstein's top
cial counsel's investigation deputy at the Justice De-
into possible coordination partment, Ed O'Callaghan.
between Russia and the The speculation over Rosen-
Trump campaign since the stein's future concerned
deputy attorney general Democrats, who feared
appointed former FBI Di- that a dismissal could lead