By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
President Trump asked the top Justice Department official overseeing the special counsel investigation whether he was “on my team” during a December meeting at the White House, according to CNN.
The candid question to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein came in the midst of an obstruction of justice investigation that began when the president fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017 for allegedly refusing to pledge “loyalty” to the president by dropping an investigation of a former Trump aide who has since been indicted.
During the White House meeting, Trump also asked about the direction of the investigation, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller in May to launch an investigation into the possibility of collusion between the Trump administration and Russia to undermine the presidential election in 2016. Rosenstein is in charge of overseeing the investigation because his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself because he met with Russian officials while supporting Trump during the campaign.
A few days after the encounter between Trump and Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general testified before a House committee that he saw no good reason to fire Mueller.
Sources told CNN in January that Trump was furious with Rosenstein and griped about wanting him removed.
