The deputy attorney general’s remarks were reported by the New York Times and confirmed by other outlets. Speculation that Trump might fire Rosenstein, as a way to neutralise Mueller, increased to fever pitch. In a statement, the deputy attorney general called the story “inaccurate and factually incorrect” and said sources behind it were “advancing their own personal agenda”. “Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th amendment.”The 25th amendment provides for the removal of a president deemed unfit for office. The author, a mystery “senior official” in the Trump administration, said the 25th amendment had been discussed but as “no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis”, a policy of containment of Trump had been pursued instead by likeminded figures.

Source: The Guardian September 22, 2018 19:52 UTC