Friday's tweets have taken other aides across the White House by surprise. Comey later revealed that he orchestrated a disclosure of details about conversations with Trump to prompt the appointment of a special counsel.
A day later, Mr. Rosenstein appointed Mr. Mueller, who was at the helm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the September 11 attacks, as special counsel.
The president has denied that he has any nefarious ties to Russian Federation and has also disputed that he's attempted to block the investigation into his campaign's possible role in Russia's election-related hacking.
Mueller reports to Rosenstein on budget and staffing needs for his team.
Rosenstein was among those who advised Sessions to recuse himself, according to officials briefed on the matter.
He also claimed that the person investigating him advised him to fire Comey, though it's unclear whom he was referring to.
The arsenal: Facing special counsel Robert Mueller's still-growing team of 13 prosecutorial killers, Trump is building his own arsenal.
First, Democrats alleged that Trump and members of his campaign colluded with Russian operatives during the election to undermine Clinton's campaign and win the White House. Rosenstein also insisted Mueller's investigation would have the resources it needs. That falls to Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, who was asked this by Republican senator from Maine Susan Collins at a hearing on Tuesday.
Brand is a conservative who served in the department under President George W. Bush and doesn't have a background in criminal prosecutions. "That will be yet more obstruction of justice if it happens". If the dominos continue to fall, one of five assistant attorneys general or the solicitor general would assume the role.
In another indication of the seriousness of the probe, Michael Cohen, a personal attorney to Trump, said he has retained attorney Stephen Ryan, a former assistant USA attorney, to represent him in the ongoing probes.
Rosenstein, in office for less than two months, is the top Justice official overseeing the probe because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself. Gingrich questioned Mueller's relationship to Comey. "The Department of Justice has a long-established policy to neither confirm nor deny such allegations".
In the interview Trump did with NBC's Lester Holt shortly after firing FBI Director James Comey, Trump described Rosenstein's involvement in the firing. But that doesn't appear to violate any ethics rules, either, Slansky said. "However, nothing has changed", said Ian Prior, a Justice Department spokesman. "Witch Hunt", Trump wrote on Twitter. "It would be standard practice for the Special Counsel to examine financial records to look for anything related to Russian Federation".
The transition order came the same day that Vice President Mike Pence's confirmed that he had hired a private lawyer to represent his interests in the expanding probe.
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