Rosenstein denies Trump taping idea

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested secretly recording President Donald Trump last year to expose chaos in the administration, according to two people familiar with the discussions

One of them, 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 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 in a statement.

“I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and 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.

The report cited several unnamed sources who described episodes that came in the spring of 2017 after FBI Director James Comey was fired. The paper said its sources also included people briefed on memos written by FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

The newspaper reported that Rosenstein, frustrated with the hiring process for a new FBI director, offered to wear a “wire” and secretly record the president when he visited the White House. He also suggested that McCabe and other officials who were interviewing to become the next FBI director could also perhaps record Trump, the newspaper reported.