Trump Delays Showdown With Rosenstein, Citing Kavanaugh Hearing

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump has delayed until next week a meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after reports last week that he discussed secretly taping the president and recruiting cabinet members to remove Trump from office.

“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. “They do not want to do anything to interfere with the hearing,” related to sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanuagh.

Asked during a press conference Wednesday whether he would fire Rosenstein, Trump said his “preference would be to keep him."

Rosenstein, the top Justice Department official overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, has denied the reports about proposing taping the president and has voiced support for Trump.

To contact the reporter on this story: Joshua Gallu in Washington at jgallu@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert

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