During Trump's morning Twitter statements, he seemingly confirmed that he is facing an investigation in connection to his decision to fire James Comey as FBI director.
Trump's tweets Friday were especially remarkable considering the context that Trump was repeatedly asking Comey and other investigators to go on the record to say he wasn't under investigation. In separate closed-door meetings with the House and the Senate, Rosenstein said his memo was "not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination". In that capacity, Rosenstein has the power to determine what resources and personnell Mueller has at his disposal - and, ultimately, whether or not the Justice Department pursues prosecutions on the basis of his findings.
If Donald Trump fires Rod Rosenstein or prods him into recusing himself from the Russian Federation meddling investigation he oversees, the president risks creating chaos at the Justice Department while failing to stop the inquiry.
He had written a memorandum to US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, criticising Mr Comey about the way in which he handled the Russian Federation investigation.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she is concerned that Trump might try to fire both Rosenstein and Mueller. Trump previously said that he always knew he would fire Comey.
That tweet came a day after The Washington Post reported that Mueller had expanded his probe to look into whether Trump himself tried to obstruct justice by allegedly pressing top intelligence officials to intervene in ongoing investigations. 'The Department of Justice has a long-established policy to neither confirm nor deny such allegations'.
But to fire Mueller, he'll kind of need Rosenstein on board. The memo included stinging criticism of the FBI director's handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email. The president has treated his attorney general to so much vitriol, Sessions reportedly offered to tender his resignation.
After Mueller Meeting, Senate Intel Committee Won't Probe Obstruction
But Mr Comey also testified that, to his knowledge, the president had not tried to stop the Russian Federation investigation. Trump wrote on Twitter, in a pair of messages that ended with a reference to his campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".
Friday's tweet marked the first time Mr Trump has publicly acknowledged he is under investigation.
Mr Comey testified it would be up to Mr Mueller to decide whether Mr Trump's action amounted to obstruction of justice, an act that could be cited in any effort in the Republican-led Congress to impeach him and remove him from office. The order by the general counsel for his transition team casts a wide net on documents that could shed light on ties between Trump's presidential campaign and representatives of Russia's government.
Tim Maloney, a Maryland lawyer who has worked with Rosenstein, said he is going to handle the decision of whether to recuse himself in the oversight of the special counsel's Russian Federation investigation "by the book".
Vice President Mike Pence hired an outside lawyer to represent his legal interests in the expanding Russian Federation probe. According to The Post, Mueller plans to interview both officials soon and also plans to question Richard Ledgett, who until recently held the No. 2 job at the NSA.
Rosenstein could eventually be questioned by Mueller about his memo on Comey and what motivated Trump to ask him to write it.
Just this morning, in a puzzlingly phrased missive, Trump bemoaned reports that he is under investigation for obstruction of justice after abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey last month.
A weekend at the rustic mountain getaway is a far cry from the president's normal routine of jetting off to one of his lavish resorts, mainly Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
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