President Donald Trump on Thursday had а meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The meeting comes at a time when Trump is apparently thinking about firing Rosenstein.
However, the White House stated that the meeting was arranged to discuss “routine Justice Department business.”
When the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of the President’s personal attorney Monday, in part due to a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, Rosenstein has made an enemy of Trump. He is the official who oversees the Mueller probe into Russia’s election interference and he is also reportedly the one that signed off on the raid.
Meanwhile, President Trump has received advice from several outside allies, including ousted chief strategist Stephen Bannon, to fire Rosenstein as an attempt to thwart the Mueller probe.
Trump has previously personally criticized and attacked Rosenstein for allowing a surveillance warrant on a former Trump campaign associate who was caught up in the Russia investigation.
“Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama,” Trump tweeted Wednesday. “Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!”
Rosenstein, who previously worked as U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, is a Republican that Trump nominated to serve as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department. Politico reported that court filings indicate Rosenstein is working closely with the special counsel, with Mueller seeking his approval for new lines of inquiry. Rosenstein has repeatedly said he sees no cause for firing Mueller.
Trump wrote in a tweet on Thursday night that he believes in his lawyer Ty Cobb to handle the Russia probe. Cobb has been urging Trump to cooperate with the investigation while warning him that firing Mueller will make things worse.
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