Expectations have diminished that a planned meeting Thursday between U.S. President Donald Trump and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein will result in the latter's resignation or immediate firing. When asked directly on Wednesday afternoon whether he planned to fire his deputy attorney general, Trump said he would "prefer" to keep him and let him. He said Rosenstein told him he didn't make the comments cited in a recent New York Times report. He had already told White House chief of staff John Kelly that he would offer to resign and told White House counsel Don McGahn that he was considering doing so, according to people familiar with the conversations. Special counsel Robert Mueller's work is overseen by Rosenstein, because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

Source: CBC News September 26, 2018 21:56 UTC