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| Rod Rosenstein: Russia probe chief set for Trump showdown | Rod Rosenstein: Russia probe chief set for Trump showdown |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US deputy attorney general has had an "extended conversation" with the president, the White House says, amid doubts over his future in the job. | The US deputy attorney general has had an "extended conversation" with the president, the White House says, amid doubts over his future in the job. |
| Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel's Russia inquiry, is set for crunch talks with Donald Trump on Thursday, said the White House. | Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel's Russia inquiry, is set for crunch talks with Donald Trump on Thursday, said the White House. |
| They discussed reports Mr Rosenstein talked last year about ousting Mr Trump and secretly taping him. | |
| Mr Trump is currently at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. | |
| America's second most senior law official was summoned to the White House on Monday amid a report that he was expecting to be fired and had verbally resigned to the president's chief of staff. | |
| But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said afterwards: "At the request of the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. | But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said afterwards: "At the request of the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. |
| "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington DC." | "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington DC." |
| If Mr Rosenstein did lose his job, another Department of Justice official, the solicitor general, would be in line to take over supervision of the investigation into whether there was any collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign before the 2016 election. | |
| Mr Rosenstein assumed oversight of the inquiry after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself when it emerged he had been in contact with Russia's ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser. | Mr Rosenstein assumed oversight of the inquiry after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself when it emerged he had been in contact with Russia's ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser. |
| Mr Rosenstein and Mr Trump are believed to have discussed Friday's report in the New York Times that the deputy attorney general had discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke a US constitutional clause that provides for the removal of a president if deemed unfit for office. | Mr Rosenstein and Mr Trump are believed to have discussed Friday's report in the New York Times that the deputy attorney general had discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke a US constitutional clause that provides for the removal of a president if deemed unfit for office. |
| According to the newspaper, Mr Rosenstein had also suggested surreptitiously recording the president in order to expose the chaos in the White House. | |
| He denied the claims, and a Department of Justice spokesperson told the BBC the secret recording remark was just a joke. | He denied the claims, and a Department of Justice spokesperson told the BBC the secret recording remark was just a joke. |
| The deputy attorney general was said to have made the remarks after Mr Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. | The deputy attorney general was said to have made the remarks after Mr Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. |
| Without Rosenstein, Russia inquiry in doubt | Without Rosenstein, Russia inquiry in doubt |
| Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington | Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington |
| If Rod Rosenstein goes, by resignation or firing, the future of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation would be very much in doubt. | |
| Mr Rosenstein is the reason there is a special counsel investigation, and he has given Mr Mueller a wide mandate to pursue that inquiry wherever it may lead. | Mr Rosenstein is the reason there is a special counsel investigation, and he has given Mr Mueller a wide mandate to pursue that inquiry wherever it may lead. |
| It has resulted, for instance, in the successful prosecution of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and a plea deal from Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen - both for activities tangential to the Russia probe. | It has resulted, for instance, in the successful prosecution of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and a plea deal from Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen - both for activities tangential to the Russia probe. |
| A different person in charge might have nipped those moves in the bud. | A different person in charge might have nipped those moves in the bud. |
| Whoever took over if Mr Rosenstein departed - at the moment, Solicitor General Noel Francisco - could decide to curtail the scope of the investigation or push for a speedy resolution. | Whoever took over if Mr Rosenstein departed - at the moment, Solicitor General Noel Francisco - could decide to curtail the scope of the investigation or push for a speedy resolution. |
| At the very least, Mr Francisco would assume the oversight duties knowing full well the president is watching very closely and has no hesitation going on the attack - even against members of his own administration - if he feels in any way slighted or wronged. | |
| As Mr Rosenstein will surely attest, it is an unenviable position. | As Mr Rosenstein will surely attest, it is an unenviable position. |
| Mr Trump spoke about the deputy attorney general over the weekend. | Mr Trump spoke about the deputy attorney general over the weekend. |
| "We will make a determination," the Republican president told Fox News in the radio interview, which was broadcast on Monday. "It's certainly a very sad story. | |
| "I haven't gotten all the facts, but certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place - If anything took place." | "I haven't gotten all the facts, but certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place - If anything took place." |
| The president has repeatedly referred to the special counsel's investigation as a politically motivated witch hunt. | The president has repeatedly referred to the special counsel's investigation as a politically motivated witch hunt. |
| Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and friend of Mr Trump, has urged him to not fire Mr Rosenstein, warning he would fall into a trap laid by his political enemies. | Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and friend of Mr Trump, has urged him to not fire Mr Rosenstein, warning he would fall into a trap laid by his political enemies. |
| Mid-term elections are looming on 6 November, when the president's party will try to keep control of the US Congress. | |