IT’S NOT IF, BUT WHEN
Rosenstein’s fate is just a matter of time
WASHINGTON — It was a news flash that shocked everyone, but surprised no one. And in the end, it didn’t even happen — but it was revealing nonetheless.
Reports that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would either tender his resignation to or be fired at the White House yesterday surged through Washington like an electrical current. But it also confirmed what has already been widely accepted even if not said aloud: It’s no longer a matter of if Rosenstein is leaving, but when.
President Trump and his inner circle are solidly antiRosenstein. The No. 2 DOJ official’s authorization of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian election meddling and potential Trump campaign team involvement has always been seen as an original sin. Last week’s New York Times report that Rosenstein discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office and even — perhaps jokingly — offered to wear a wire all but sealed his fate.
The only disagreement within Trump’s camp is over whether firing Rosenstein before the midterm elections six weeks away would do more political damage than good.
No one knows all this better than Rosenstein, who attended a rescheduled meeting at the White House yesterday and reportedly was ready to be fired upon arrival, according the multiple reports. Some White House officials had already told reporters that Rosenstein was coming to resign.
By lunchtime, it was clear neither thing would happen. Trump was away in New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations.
His chief of staff, John Kelly, made the effort to walk outside of the White House with Rosenstein — in full view of the media’s cameras — and gave a number of Justice Department officials a friendly handshake before he departed.
Clearly he falls in the camp that a pre-election firing could cost Republicans dearly.
But the undercurrents were clear: Rosenstein’s days are numbered. What that means for Mueller’s probe — GOP congressional leaders have refused to move legislation protecting it from interference by the president — is still up in the air.
Trump, asked by reporters about Rosenstein’s future, demurred with a non-denial that Rosenstein is on thin ice. But he left open the possibility that Rosenstein could be shown the door by the end of the week.
“I’m meeting with Rod Rosenstein on Thursday when I get back from all of these meetings,” Trump said, referring to his scheduled meeting with Rosenstein — which will serve as the ultimate finale of this political reality show.
“And we’ll be meeting at the White House, and we’ll be determining what’s going on. We want to have transparency; we want to have openness. And I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time. OK?”