Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has drawn increased scrutiny from defenders of the president in recent days in the wake of an FBI raid on Michael Cohen. | Win McNamee/Getty Images Attorney diGenova calls for Rosenstein to be fired

Former federal prosecutor Joseph diGenova, who was set to join President Donald Trump's legal team, on Wednesday night called for the firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, telling Fox News that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has an obligation to dismiss his second in command.

DiGenova joins a chorus of commentators and analysts, a group that includes Fox Business commentator Lou Dobbs and others, that is pushing the president to dismantle the investigation into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.


"Rod Rosenstein is so incompetent, compromised and conflicted that he can no longer serve as the deputy attorney general," diGenova told Fox News’ “Hannity” on Wednesday night.

Rosenstein has drawn increased scrutiny from defenders of the president in recent days in the wake of an FBI raid on Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime personal attorney, that was approved by the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein is also the Justice Department official overseeing the Russia investigation, labeled a “witch hunt” by the president, led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

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The raid against Cohen has also amplified calls from allies of the president in recent days to fire Mueller, who referred information to the U.S. attorney’s office in New York that led to the warrant against the president’s longtime lawyer. Trump himself left open the possibility that he might fire Mueller, telling reporters this week “we’ll see what happens” and “many people have said you should fire him” in response to a question about dismissing the special counsel.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that it is the administration’s position that Trump has the authority to fire Mueller, although there is some debate as to whether that power rests with Rosenstein alone, since he is the official overseeing Mueller’s probe. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who reportedly remains in contact with members of Trump’s inner circle, has pushed a plan to weaken Mueller’s probe, in part by firing Rosenstein, according to The Washington Post.

Although Mueller’s job security has been called into question by the president, Republicans on Capitol Hill have defended the special counsel. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who on Wednesday announced he would retire from Congress at the end of the year, has said repeatedly that the White House has assured him there are no plans to fire Mueller. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and an ally of Trump, warned against firing Mueller in a Thursday morning post to Twitter.

“Anyone advising the President — in public or over the airwaves — to fire Bob Mueller does not have the President or the nation’s best interest at heart,” Hatch wrote. “Full stop.”

