President Trump wants Special Counsel Robert Mueller fired. “The entire thing has been a witch hunt.” “These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I’ve ever seen.” “I wanted to stay out. But at some point, if it doesn’t straighten out properly, I will get involved. And I’ll get in there if I have to.” But the man who’s overseeing Mueller’s probe says that’s not likely. “If there were not good cause, it wouldn’t matter to me what anybody says.” The Times has reported that Rosenstein discussed ways to remove Trump from office. Now they’re in a face-off — the president, who demands loyalty, and Rosenstein, the subordinate, whose job requires independence. “Are you afraid of President Trump firing you?” “No, I am not, Congressman.” So how does Rosenstein defend one of his boss’s biggest targets? “If President Trump ordered you to fire the special counsel, what would you do?” “Senator, I’m not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders. Under the regulation, Special Counsel Mueller may be fired only for good cause. And I am required to put that cause in writing.” “And Director Mueller is going to have a full degree of independence that he needs to conduct that investigation appropriately.” “Yeah, there have been people who have been making threats, privately and publicly, against me. And I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. We’re going to do what’s required by the rule of law. And any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job. We have a responsibility. And we take an oath. That’s the whole point.” “If it were appropriate for me to recuse, I’d be more than happy to do so and let somebody else handle this. But it’s my responsibility to do it.” But when it comes down to it, the president could have the last word, firing Rosenstein and appointing someone else, who will then fire Mueller. “And many people have said you should fire him. Again, they’ve found nothing.”