Stephen Bannon has informed White House aides on a plan for how the Trump administration could undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference.
The Washington Post reported that the former White House chief strategist’s plan involves President Donald Trump firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is the one overseeing the special counsel’s investigation into Russian meddling.
Trump is also reportedly furious at Rosenstein for permitting the search of the hotel room and office of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
According to The Post, Bannon also recommends that Trump fire his personal lawyer Ty Cobb, too, and advises the administration to stop cooperating with Mueller. The former White House chief strategist apparently believes that the president should protect himself using executive privilege while arguing that past interviews with White House officials should be null and void, the Post wrote.
“The President wasn’t fully briefed by his lawyers on the implications of not invoking executive privilege,” Bannon told the Post on Wednesday. “It was a strategic mistake to turn over everything without due process, and executive privilege should be exerted immediately and retroactively.”
However, there is skepticism within the White House about Bannon’s attempt to influence Trump’s decision-making process and there are no signs that the President will consider his plan.
Meanwhile, Congressional Trump allies are working to take legislative action against Rosenstein for his disclosure of documents related to the Russian investigation.
However, for Bannon, this is an opportunity that Trump needs to seize and to transfer the Russian investigation to Congress where Republicans still hold majorities in the House and Senate.
“I have the utmost respect for Bob Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but the developments over the past two weeks make it the right time to shift the center of gravity of this back to Capitol Hill,” Bannon told the Post. “Make the Republican Party own this, force them to have his back.”
According to some reports, President Trump has been considering firing Rosenstein for approving the surveillance of his former campaign adviser Carter Page and for approving the search on Cohen.
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