President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE in December asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE if he was “on my team,” CNN reported Wednesday.

The president also pressed Rosenstein about the direction of special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign.

Rosenstein oversees the Russia probe and appointed Mueller to lead it last year.

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CNN reported that the No. 2 Justice Department official visited the White House to ask Trump for help in fighting off document requests from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Sunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington MORE (R-Calif.)

Rosenstein was reportedly surprised by Trump’s question and replied, “of course, we're all on your team, Mr. President.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The exchange is the latest instance of Trump demanding loyalty from senior officials at the Justice Department who are directly involved in the Russia investigation, a practice many say violates longstanding norms surrounding the independence of federal law enforcement.

Former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyDemocrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate Book: FBI sex crimes investigator helped trigger October 2016 public probe of Clinton emails Trump jabs at FBI director over testimony on Russia, antifa MORE testified to Congress that Trump said to him during a January 2017 White House meeting, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.”

Comey also told lawmakers that the president asked him to go easy on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired for lying to senior administration officials about his contacts with Russia.

Flynn was later charged by Mueller for lying to the FBI about his talks with Russians during the campaign and transition period.

Trump fired Comey in May, a move he later said was linked to the Russia probe, which he has repeatedly dismissed as a politically motivated “hoax.”

The president also reportedly asked Comey’s interim replacement, Andrew McCabe, who he voted for in the 2016 election. Trump has denied asking McCabe the question.

McCabe left his post as FBI deputy director last week under pressure from Trump and GOP lawmakers, who accused him of promoting anti-Trump bias at the top levels of the bureau.

Mueller is reportedly looking into Trump’s interactions with Comey and others to determine if Trump may have obstructed the investigation.

There is growing speculation in Washington that Rosenstein will be the next Justice Department official to find himself in Trump’s crosshairs.

A controversial secret memo from Nunes reportedly shows that Rosenstein approved an application for a surveillance warrant for former Trump campaign official Carter Page early last year.

Republicans say the memo, which the Intelligence panel voted to release, shows the FBI and Justice Department improperly sought the warrant because it was based on allegations contained in an unverified dossier funded by Trump's political opponents.

Some Trump critics fear he might use the memo to fire Rosenstein or pressure him to resign.

Democrats say the memo contains cherry-picked information and paints a misleading picture of the Russia probe to undermine it.

The FBI expressed similar worries Wednesday in a rare public statement.

"The FBI was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it," the bureau said. "As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy."

Updated at 5:07 p.m.