Trump postpones meeting with DOJ's Rosenstein until next week

President Donald Trump on Thursday spoke by telephone with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and decided to postpone their meeting until next week, thus diluting the rumours that the Department of Justice No. 2 official might be summarily fired.

"The president spoke with Rod Rosenstein a few minutes ago and they plan to meet next week," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday in a statement, Efe reported.

"They do not want to do anything to interfere with the hearing" taking place on Thursday on Capitol regarding sexual assault allegations by Christine Blasey Ford against Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

Rosenstein is the official in charge of supervising Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is independently investigating the scope of Russian interference in the 2016 elections and whether there was any kind of coordination between the Kremlin and members of Trump's campaign team.

The president has repeatedly criticized this investigation, which he has called a "witch hunt," saying that is lacks any basis.

According to The New York Times, Rosenstein in 2017 suggested the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment, whereby a president may be impeached and deposed if he is deemed to be incapable of carrying out the duties of his office.

The deputy AG denies having suggested that Trump might be deposed, but since the news broke last Friday rumours have begun circulating that the president might fire him.

--IANS

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