The Tense Relationship Between The President And Department of Justice

With Meghna Chakrabarti

Turmoil in Washington and Rod Rosenstein after the explosive New York Times report he suggested secretly recording the president. Now what for the Mueller investigation?

Paula Reid, CBS News correspondent covering the Justice Department, the White House, and legal affairs. (@PaulaReidCBS)

David Folkenflik, Co-host of On Point and NPR Media Correspondent. (@davidfolkenflik)

Claire Finkelstein, teaches law and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law. (@COFinkelstein)

Jonathan Turley, a constitutional scholar, he teaches Public Interest Law at George Washington University’s School of Law.  (@JonathanTurley)

USA Today: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein To Meet With Trump Thursday As His Fate Is Uncertain — "The Thursday meeting, first announced by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, came during a day of fast-moving developments in which Rosenstein's status was unclear for hours after being summoned for a meeting with chief of staff John Kelly.

Rosenstein headed over to the White House expecting to be dismissed, according to a person familiar with the matter, only to return to the Department of Justice in the early afternoon – his status unchanged, at least for now."

The New York Times: Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment — "The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

Mr. Rosenstein made these suggestions in the spring of 2017 when Mr. Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director plunged the White House into turmoil. Over the ensuing days, the president divulged classified intelligence to Russians in the Oval Office, and revelations emerged that Mr. Trump had asked Mr. Comey to pledge loyalty and end an investigation into a senior aide."

The Hill: "Insubordination Versus Obstruction: Has The New York Times Given Trump His Long-Sought License To Clean House At Justice?" — "The greatest irony of all, however, could be how the newspaper that Trump loves to call “the failing New York Times” succeeded in delivering to him what he has long wanted: a clean shot at firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and then installing a new AG to oversee special counsel Robert Mueller. To make this more bizarre, Trump could rely for all this on the man he publicly called on to be fired and possibly prosecuted — former FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe."

President Trump is set to meet Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday. Over the past 24 hours there's been confusion about whether Rosenstein resigned, or is expecting to be fired. One thing is for certain. It will be a tough meeting. If Rosenstein is out by the end of the week, huge questions emerge immediately about what impact that will have on the Mueller investigation. The president's lawyers are already calling for a "time out" on the inquiry if Rosenstein goes. This hour, On Point: Rod Rosenstein, the Justice Department, and the Mueller Investigation. --Meghna Chakrabarti.