Trump, Jeff Sessions learned about the Russia special counsel appointment only after it was finalized
If you've been starting to anticipate your phone or TV buzzing in with a big news alert about the Trump administration sometime around dinner time, the Trump White House is probably right there with you.
President Trump found out that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had appointed a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and any possible collusion with President Trump's campaign or associates only about 25 minutes before the news was made public; after signing the order, Rosenstein had called White House counsel Don McGahn, who informed Trump, White House officials tell Bloomberg and CNN. Attorney General Jeff Sessions wasn't informed until after the order was signed, either, the Los Angeles Times reports, citing a Justice Department spokesperson.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The White House can hardly attack Rosenstein's decision," notes Dave Lawler at Axios. "After all, they spent 24+ hours arguing that his judgment was above reproach" last week, when the White House was using Rosenstein's advice as the rationale for firing FBI Director James Comey. The decision to appoint a special prosecutor was Rosenstein's to make because Sessions, a key member of Trump's campaign, recused himself from the Russia investigation.
-
Mixed nuts: RFK Jr.’s new nutrition guidelines receive uneven reviewsTalking Points The guidelines emphasize red meat and full-fat dairy
-
Will regulators put a stop to Grok’s deepfake porn images of real people?Today’s Big Question Users command AI chatbot to undress pictures of women and children
-
‘All of these elements push survivors into silence’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
