Frustrated by Russia investigation, Trump turns ire toward Rosenstein
Washington (CNN)Months
after his reported effort to fire special counsel Robert Mueller,
President Donald Trump is still fuming over the Russia investigation and
has Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in his crosshairs.
The
President has been venting about Rosenstein -- who oversees Mueller and
the special counsel investigation -- in recent weeks, according to four
sources familiar with the situation. At times, Trump even gripes about
wanting Rosenstein removed, two of those sources said. One source said
the President makes comments like "let's fire him, let's get rid of him"
before his advisers convince him it's an ill-fated idea.
Trump's
first year in office has been marked by his preoccupation with an
investigation he has dubbed a "witch hunt" and his reported efforts to
bring it to a swift conclusion.
After
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation,
Trump took the dramatic step of firing FBI Director James Comey -- but
only after asking him for a pledge of loyalty and to back off the FBI
investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn,
according to Comey.
The
move led to the appointment of a special counsel in May 2017, a
development that continues to infuriate the President. While Trump often
directed that anger at Sessions, by June he turned his ire to Mueller
and wanted the special counsel fired, a source confirmed to CNN after it
was first reported in The New York Times. White House counsel Don
McGahn refused to order the Justice Department to fire Mueller, the
source said, because he disagreed with the President's reasoning.
Trump
appeared in good spirits Friday morning as he prepared to deliver
remarks in Davos, a source who spent time with Trump behind the scenes
said. There was no sign that he was perturbed by reports about his move
to fire Mueller, this person said, and Trump didn't bring up the topic.
But
ever since a special counsel was named, the President's frustrations
have continued to simmer. Trump has come to view Rosenstein as
one-in-the-same as Mueller -- another government official who is out to
get the President, one source said.
Sources described Trump's frustration with Rosenstein as largely bluster.
"When
this comes up -- everyone says, 'That's the death march. That's not
going to accomplish anything,'" said one source familiar with the
situation.
Asked for comment, White
House special counsel Ty Cobb said in a statement, "We do not find it
to be a coincidence that there is an onslaught of false stories
circulating in what appears to be a coordinated effort to distract and
deflect from new revelations about already reported bias and corruption.
We continue to cooperate with the Special counsel and out of respect
for that process will not weigh in further."
The Department of Justice declined to comment.
Mueller's
office has zeroed in on decisions that seemed to dominate so much of
the President's thinking in his first year in office: the firings of
Flynn and Comey, as well as any pressure he may have exerted on
Sessions.
The President's motives in these situations aren't always entirely transparent.
One
source said that, back in June, the President and his attorneys had
multiple discussions about whether they should make an issue of
Mueller's conflicts. The source disputed that Trump had ordered Mueller
to be fired.
In explaining his
urge to fire Mueller, The Times, citing two people, said the President
said there was a conflict of interest based on Mueller's dispute with
one of his golf clubs over fees, the fact that Mueller worked at the
same law firm that was representing Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner,
and that Mueller interviewed for the FBI director position the day
before he was named special counsel. A source tells CNN another reason
Trump wanted to fire Mueller was his perception that Mueller was close
friends with Comey. The two men are professional acquaintances.
As
for McGahn, he was already prone to becoming frustrated with the
President and had threatened to quit over different issues, including
Trump's choice of lawyers to defend the President and White House,
according to a source familiar with the situation. But the pressure in
June to fire Mueller caused McGahn to tell others he would resign, and
this time he packed up some of his belongings in boxes, according to two
people familiar with the matter.
Before
the news broke Thursday, those who have worked closely with McGahn in
recent weeks said they believe he's committed to staying at the White
House. But his fate could depend on how Trump reacts upon his return to
Washington.
Next week, the special
counsel's team is set to question former White House chief strategist
Steve Bannon about the Flynn and Comey firings, people familiar with the
investigation said.
It was a
topic that several White House officials have been asked about. The
questions "covered the waterfront" ranging from the campaign,
connections to Russians, and the meeting at Trump's Bedminster, New
Jersey, golf club where the decision to fire Comey was made, one person
familiar with one witness' testimony said.
"They're really digging into the Comey obstruction piece," this person said.
Sources
familiar with the matter told CNN that Mueller had provided Trump's
lawyers with possible interview topics including Trump allegedly asking
Comey to drop an investigation into Flynn and Trump's outreach to
leaders of the intelligence community about the Russia investigation.
The
new information about Trump's desire to fire Mueller -- which the
President deemed "fake news" on Friday -- puts his team on a collision
course with the special counsel as the two are in talks about the
President being interviewed.
Trump
told reporters Wednesday he was "looking forward" to an interview with
Mueller and would do it under oath. "There has been no collusion
whatsoever. There's no obstruction whatsoever," he said. He mockingly
told reporters, "You fight back, oh, it's obstruction."
White
House lawyers quickly walked that back with one attorney, Cobb, saying
the President "spoke hurriedly and intended only to say that he was
willing to meet."
John Dowd, the
President's personal lawyer, struck a stronger note Thursday, saying, "I
will make the decision on whether the President talks to the special
counsel. I have not made any decision yet."
It's
unclear how the latest revelations will play out politically and
legally. If Trump's legal team decides to not agree to an interview,
Mueller's team could subpoena his testimony before a grand jury, which
could set up a court battle.
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