AP: Trump polled staff on board Air Force One over whether to fire Rosenstein
President Trump polled staffers flying with him to and from a rally in Missouri on Friday over whether he should fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein following an explosive New York Times report published earlier that day, The Associated Press reported.
The news outlet reported Sunday that Trump spoke with staffers on board and called outside advisers as he watched coverage of the story play out on Fox News programs broadcast on Air Force One televisions. While he received mixed advice, more were in favor of holding off on firing Rosenstein, according to the AP.
Trump reportedly decided to hold off on ousting his deputy attorney general.{mosads}
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The New York Times reported Friday that Rosenstein suggested wearing a wire during conversations with the president last spring. He also reportedly proposed recruiting Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
Trump has not yet publicly commented on the report.
Rosenstein fiercely denied the report, calling it “inaccurate and factually incorrect.” He added that “there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment” based on his dealings with Trump.
Several of Trump’s allies appeared on Sunday talk shows to react to the report, and none of them urged the president to fire Rosenstein based on the Times story alone.
A couple lawmakers revived calls for a second special counsel to investigate alleged bias within the Department of Justice against the president, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she’s never heard discussions of the 25th Amendment among staffers.
Updated at 4:51 p.m.
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