SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Government watchdog groups mobilized their supporters to take to the streets if President Donald Trump fires Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as the president hinted at doing just that at a rally on Friday. (Photo: Office of Public Affairs/Flickr/cc)
As Trump Vows to Rid DOJ of 'Lingering Stench,' Ted Lieu Warns of Obstruction of Justice if Rosenstein is Fired
"If the president [fires Rosenstein], it really would be a pretext to get the Mueller investigation."
Sep 22, 2018
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) warned President Donald Trump against an obvious possible obstruction of justice as Trump hinted at firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at a rally late Friday.
Lieu's comments followed the New York Times' bombshell report Friday afternoon detailing comments Rosenstein reportedly made early in Trump's presidency. According to the Times, the deputy attorney general suggested recording his conversations with the president in 2017 and said that invoking the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office could be possible.
"None of this appeared to have been executed," Lieu told Ari Melber on MSNBC. "He didn't seem to tape anything, he didn't seem to have gone much further with the 25th amendment talk, so this would not be enough to fire Rod Rosenstein. If he did it would be obstruction of justice."
Lieu's interview came as Trump was speaking to a crowd in Springfield, Missouri, where he was endorsing the Senate run of the state's attorney general, Josh Hawley--but where he focused partially on his ongoing feud with the Justice Department over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into his campaign.
"Look what's being exposed at the Department of Justice and the FBI. You have some real bad ones. You see what's happening at the FBI--they're all gone, they're all gone," Trump said, in a likely reference to former FBI Director James Comey, who he fired in 2017, and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last January.
"But there's a lingering stench and we're going to get rid of that too," Trump added.
\u201cTrump vowed to eradicate a "lingering stench" at the DOJ, hours after it was reported that Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein discussed wearing a "wire" to record conversations with the President and recruiting Cabinet members to remove Trump via the 25th Amendment https://t.co/QpkgxiQrp7\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1537580101
The report, and Trump's remarks in Missouri, led to concerns that the president could fire Rosenstein in the near future, provoking government watchdog groups including Public Citizen and MoveOn.org to mobilize their supporters in anticipation of mass protests should Trump dismiss the deputy attorney general.
"If the president [fires Rosenstein], it really would be a pretext to get the Mueller investigation," Lieu said.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) warned President Donald Trump against an obvious possible obstruction of justice as Trump hinted at firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at a rally late Friday.
Lieu's comments followed the New York Times' bombshell report Friday afternoon detailing comments Rosenstein reportedly made early in Trump's presidency. According to the Times, the deputy attorney general suggested recording his conversations with the president in 2017 and said that invoking the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office could be possible.
"None of this appeared to have been executed," Lieu told Ari Melber on MSNBC. "He didn't seem to tape anything, he didn't seem to have gone much further with the 25th amendment talk, so this would not be enough to fire Rod Rosenstein. If he did it would be obstruction of justice."
Lieu's interview came as Trump was speaking to a crowd in Springfield, Missouri, where he was endorsing the Senate run of the state's attorney general, Josh Hawley--but where he focused partially on his ongoing feud with the Justice Department over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into his campaign.
"Look what's being exposed at the Department of Justice and the FBI. You have some real bad ones. You see what's happening at the FBI--they're all gone, they're all gone," Trump said, in a likely reference to former FBI Director James Comey, who he fired in 2017, and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last January.
"But there's a lingering stench and we're going to get rid of that too," Trump added.
\u201cTrump vowed to eradicate a "lingering stench" at the DOJ, hours after it was reported that Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein discussed wearing a "wire" to record conversations with the President and recruiting Cabinet members to remove Trump via the 25th Amendment https://t.co/QpkgxiQrp7\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1537580101
The report, and Trump's remarks in Missouri, led to concerns that the president could fire Rosenstein in the near future, provoking government watchdog groups including Public Citizen and MoveOn.org to mobilize their supporters in anticipation of mass protests should Trump dismiss the deputy attorney general.
"If the president [fires Rosenstein], it really would be a pretext to get the Mueller investigation," Lieu said.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) warned President Donald Trump against an obvious possible obstruction of justice as Trump hinted at firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at a rally late Friday.
Lieu's comments followed the New York Times' bombshell report Friday afternoon detailing comments Rosenstein reportedly made early in Trump's presidency. According to the Times, the deputy attorney general suggested recording his conversations with the president in 2017 and said that invoking the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office could be possible.
"None of this appeared to have been executed," Lieu told Ari Melber on MSNBC. "He didn't seem to tape anything, he didn't seem to have gone much further with the 25th amendment talk, so this would not be enough to fire Rod Rosenstein. If he did it would be obstruction of justice."
Lieu's interview came as Trump was speaking to a crowd in Springfield, Missouri, where he was endorsing the Senate run of the state's attorney general, Josh Hawley--but where he focused partially on his ongoing feud with the Justice Department over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into his campaign.
"Look what's being exposed at the Department of Justice and the FBI. You have some real bad ones. You see what's happening at the FBI--they're all gone, they're all gone," Trump said, in a likely reference to former FBI Director James Comey, who he fired in 2017, and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last January.
"But there's a lingering stench and we're going to get rid of that too," Trump added.
\u201cTrump vowed to eradicate a "lingering stench" at the DOJ, hours after it was reported that Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein discussed wearing a "wire" to record conversations with the President and recruiting Cabinet members to remove Trump via the 25th Amendment https://t.co/QpkgxiQrp7\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1537580101
The report, and Trump's remarks in Missouri, led to concerns that the president could fire Rosenstein in the near future, provoking government watchdog groups including Public Citizen and MoveOn.org to mobilize their supporters in anticipation of mass protests should Trump dismiss the deputy attorney general.
"If the president [fires Rosenstein], it really would be a pretext to get the Mueller investigation," Lieu said.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.