Trump does not fire Rosenstein after 'great' conversation aboard Air Force One

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images)

published 8 October 2018

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein still has a job — for now.

President Trump finally met with Rosenstein, the Justice Department official overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, after previously canceling a meeting that would have taken place on the same day as the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. Ever since The New York Times reported in September that Rosenstein had discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, people have worried Rosenstein would be fired, apparently including Rosenstein himself.

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Trump had previously suggested he would "prefer" not to fire Rosenstein, but he and members of his administration dodged direct questions about whether he would actually do so. Republicans had argued that Trump should at the very least hold off until after the midterms; because Rosenstein oversees Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the GOP feared his firing could hurt them in the midterms, creating the impression that Trump is trying to obstruct justice. Now, it appears Trump may be heeding their advice.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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