Rosenstein denies plotting to tape Trump

WASHINGTON — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested secretly recording Donald Trump last year to expose chaos in the administration, according to two people familiar with the discussions. One of the people, who was present when the remarks were made, said Rosenstein was being sarcastic about wearing a “wire.”

The allegations were first reported by The New York Times, which also said that Rosenstein floated the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump as unfit for office.

Rosenstein denied both allegations on Friday. He is a frequent target of Trump’s attacks and the story could add to the uncertainty about his future at the Justice Department, despite his denial.

“The New York Times’ story is inaccurate and factually incorrect,” Rosenstein said. “I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution spells out that a president can be declared “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” upon a majority vote of the vice-president and the cabinet.

Rosenstein has been a target of Trump’s ire since appointing Robert Mueller as a Justice Department special counsel to probe potential co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign in the 2016 election.