Page 4 - aruba today

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 25 sepTember 2018
Rosenstein still has his job _ at least till Trump showdown

By ZEKE MILLER and ERIC how to respond to the situa-
TUCKER tion. Some urged him to fire
Associated Press Rosenstein. Others suggest-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Af- ed restraint while check-
ter a long weekend spent ing whether the report was
wondering if he should re- correct or if it was planted
sign or would be fired, Dep- by some adversary.
uty Attorney General Rod Though Trump has mostly
Rosenstein still has his job — spared Rosenstein from
for now. some of the harsher and
President Donald Trump more personal attacks he
gave Rosenstein a three- has directed at Attorney
day reprieve pending their General Jeff Sessions, he
face-to-face White House has occasionally lashed
showdown on Thursday. out with angry tirades at
That's when the man who the deputy, including after
oversees the Trump-Russia FBI raids in April targeting
investigation will respond the president's former per-
to reports that he had dis- sonal lawyer, Michael Co-
cussed secretly recording hen.
the president and possibly Rosenstein appointed
using constitutional proce- Mueller in May 2017 after
dures to remove him from In this July 13, 2018 file photo, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks during a news Sessions, who ordinarily
office. conference at the Department of Justice in Washington. would have overseen the
The revelation that Associated Press Russia investigation, re-
Rosenstein last year had cused himself because of
broached the idea of tap- of a replacement who stitution to have the Cabi- Sarah Huckabee Sanders his close involvement in the
ing the president touched Democrats fear would be net consider removing him said in a statement. "Be- Trump campaign.
off a dramatic weekend less respectful of Mueller's from office. cause the President is at The move came one week
of conversations with the independence and man- Rosenstein was summoned the United Nations Gener- after Rosenstein laid the
White House in which he date. Even some congres- to the White House on Fri- al Assembly and has a full groundwork for Comey's fir-
offered to one official to sional Republicans and day evening for a conver- schedule with leaders from ing by writing a memo criti-
resign and confided to an- Trump aides have warned sation with chief of staff around the world, they will cizing Comey's handling
other that he was consid- for months against firing Kelly after which he issued meet on Thursday when of the FBI investigation into
ering doing so, according Rosenstein for fear that it a denial meant to be even the President returns to Hillary Clinton's email serv-
to two people familiar with could lead to impeach- sharper in tone than the Washington, D.C." er. The White House initially
the discussions who spoke ment. one the Justice Depart- It's unclear what will hap- cited that memo as justifi-
on condition of anonymity The commotion about ment sent out hours earlier. pen Thursday. cation for Comey's firing,
to discuss private conversa- Rosenstein's future adds to In conversations over the Despite his "You're Fired!" though Trump himself has
tions. the turmoil roiling the ad- weekend, he offered to tagline from his "The Ap- said he was thinking about
Even as he took issue with ministration, just six weeks Kelly to resign, though the prentice" reality show days, "this Russia thing" when he
the reports, Rosenstein ar- before midterm elections terms were unclear. He also the president has shown made his move.
rived at the White House with control of Congress at told White House Counsel himself reluctant to direct- Were Rosenstein to be
on Monday expecting to stake. In addition to deal- Don McGahn that he was ly fire aides himself. While forced out, Solicitor Gen-
be fired, according to an- ing with the Mueller inves- considering doing so. Mc- his White House has been eral Noel Francisco, the
other person who spoke tigation, the White House is Gahn told Rosenstein they marked with unprecedent- highest-ranking Senate-
on condition of anonymity. also struggling to win con- should discuss the issue ed staff turnover, Trump has confirmed official below
Instead, after he met with firmation of Supreme Court Monday, said the person often left the task to depu- him in the Justice Depart-
chief of staff John Kelly and nominee Brett Kavanaugh who spoke on condition of ties, including Kelly. ment, would take control
spoke by phone to Trump in the wake of sexual mis- anonymity to discuss the He dispatched his former of the Mueller investigation.
himself, questions about conduct allegations. private conversation. bodyguard to fire FBI Di- Former FBI Deputy Director
his future were effectively The Trump-Rosenstein He met again with Kelly rector James Comey — Andrew McCabe, whose
tabled until the personal meeting will be on the on Monday and spoke by though Comey was out of private memos document
meeting on Thursday. same day as an extraor- phone with Trump, also at- town. In other cases, Trump comments allegedly made
The position of deputy at- dinary Senate committee tending a pre-scheduled has publicly and privately by Rosenstein, said Mon-
torney general is ordinar- hearing featuring Kava- meeting at the White House shamed staffers, pushing day he was concerned
ily a relatively low-visibility naugh and a woman who in place of the Attorney them to resign. that a Rosenstein depar-
one in Washington, but has accused him of sexual- General Jeff Sessions, who Trump, who on Friday said ture would put the investi-
Rosenstein has assumed ly assaulting her when they was traveling. Rosenstein that he would remove a gation at risk.
outsized significance given were in high school. was captured by photog- "lingering stench" from the "There is nothing more im-
his appointment of spe- Questions about Rosen- raphers leaving the White Justice Department, did portant to the integrity of
cial counsel Robert Muel- stein's future, long simmer- House after his meetings not publicly reveal any law enforcement and the
ler to investigate potential ing, took on new life Friday Monday and was led out plans over the weekend. rule of law than protecting
ties between Russia and with a New York Times re- by Kelly, later returning to On Monday, he said he the investigation of special
Trump's 2016 presidential port that in May 2017 dis- the White House. hoped Thursday's meeting counsel Mueller," McCabe
campaign. cussions with FBI and Jus- "At the request of Depu- would help him figure out said in a statement. "I sac-
Any firing or resignation tice Department officials ty Attorney General Rod "what's going on." rificed personally and pro-
spells immediate uncer- he suggested the idea of Rosenstein, he and Presi- Over the weekend, he fessionally to help put the
tainty for an investigation secretly recording Trump dent Trump had an extend- appeared undecided on investigation on a proper
that Rosenstein oversees — remarks his defenders ed conversation to discuss Rosenstein's fate, asking course and subsequently
and would place that re- insist were merely sarcastic the recent news stories," confidants, both inside and made every effort to pro-
sponsibility in the hands — and of invoking the Con- White House spokeswoman outside the White House, tect it."q