Trump's firing of Rosenstein and Sessions is reportedly imminent


President Trump was reportedly so enraged by an FBI raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel that he is now on the brink of firing Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general he appointed, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
"It's a matter of when, not if," an anonymous person who has been in talks with Trump this week told The Wall Street Journal.
Investigators seized files from Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime attorney, on Monday. The raid was conducted by Manhattan law enforcement, but was based on a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether the Trump campaign was involved. Rosenstein is overseeing the special counsel investigation.
Subscribe to 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 Cohen raid indicated that Mueller's investigation is encroaching on Trump's inner circle, which reportedly angered the president greatly. It was "not good for the long-term relationship between the president and Sessions and Rosenstein," a source told the Journal.
The White House is reportedly seeking to build a case for the firing of Rosenstein and has asked allies outside of the administration to publicly attack the deputy attorney general and Mueller's probe. Trump's advisers have warned him that firing Rosenstein would be extremely risky and could cause a constitutional crisis. But the Journal's sources say Trump wants the top Justice Department officials gone anyway: "Eventually, it will happen," a source said.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'
-
The EPA wants to green-light approval for a twice-banned herbicide
Under the radar Dicamba has been found to harm ecosystems
-
Crossword: July 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office