Rosenstein

leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the president returns to Washington, D.C.,” Sanders said.

Rosenstein suggested invoking the 25th Amendment against Trump in spring 2017, when the White House had been plunged into chaos after the firing of FBI Director James Comey, according to a story published Friday in The New York Times.

In meetings with about a half-dozen other top Justice and FBI officials, Rosenstein proposed wearing a recording device in encounters with Trump to gather evidence of his conduct, the Times reported.

The discussions were recorded in memos written by one of the meeting’s participants, then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, the Times said. Rosenstein denied the report. The uncertain fate surrounding Rosenstein on Monday prompted deep concern for the future of the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election led by Justice special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed by Rosenstein and whose work is managed by the deputy attorney general.

Already, speculation swirled over who would assume Rosenstein’s responsibility for the Russia investigation. According to the Justice Department, Solicitor General Noel Francisco would be in line to assume management of the investigation.

While some Trump allies have demanded Rosenstein’s removal, his dismissal would generate condemnation from lawmakers who believe the president’s real goal is to fire Mueller.

Trump said over the weekend that he was awaiting “facts” before deciding what to do with Rosenstein. The uncertainty involving the deputy attorney general came only days after Trump had revived his feud with Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the Russia inquiry.

In an interview with Hill.TV last week, Trump lamented: “I don’t have an attorney general. It’s very sad.”

Trump had long criticized Rosenstein in large part because he appointed Mueller to investigate any links between the Trump campaign and Russians who sought to interfere in the elections.

Rosenstein has the authority to fire Mueller but has consistently voiced strong support for Mueller’s work.

For months, aides had talked Trump out of moving against Rosenstein, but then came the Friday bombshell first published by the Times.

In a statement Friday, Rosenstein said the Times story was “factually incorrect.” He also said that based on his personal dealings with Trump, “there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”

That amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1967, created a legal mechanism for designating a head of state when the president is disabled or dead. It also formalized the historical practice for the vice president to permanently take over if the president dies or resigns and gives the president and Congress shared power to replace a vice president.