Trump on whether he has confidence in Rosenstein: ‘You figure that one out’

President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside a question over whether he still had confidence in Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, telling reporters, “You figure that one out.”

The remark came on the heels of Trump’s latest verbal attack on the Department of Justice and the FBI, with the president using an early-morning tweet to accuse them of politicizing their inquiries.


“The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans — something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago,” the president said. “Rank & File are great people!”

Rosenstein has come under increased scrutiny from the White House and congressional Republicans over the DOJ’s handling of the Russia investigation, which Trump has labeled a “witch hunt.”

The White House recently declined to give a full-throated endorsement of the deputy attorney general, with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying during a briefing earlier this week that Rosenstein would remain in the administration until Trump saw fit.

"As I’ve said, when you guys ask this question about a number of individuals, when the president no longer has confidence in someone, you’ll know," Sanders said Monday.

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Trump’s comment came briefly after he announced that the White House would allow the release of a contested House Republican memo that alleges wrongdoing by top officials at the FBI.

"The memo was sent to Congress, it was declassified," the president told reporters in the Oval Office. "Congress will do whatever they're going to do, but I think it's a disgrace what's happening in our country."

The decision came over the objections of top officials at the DOJ and the FBI, who expressed concern over its accuracy and sourcing methods.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) responded to Trump's remarks in a joint statement that invoked Watergate in warning the president not to fire Rosenstein or special counsel Robert Mueller.

"We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted action as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation," the lawmakers wrote. "Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ Leadership, or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis of the kind not seen since the Saturday Night Massacre."