Organizations have a plan in place amid fears the special counsel or deputy attorney general could be sacked

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Resisting Trump’s firing whims

Heading into the weekend, speculation was mounting that Donald Trump was considering firing deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

If that happens, more than 300,000 activists are ready to spring into action with a series of protests across the US.

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The activist website MoveOn told the Guardian more than 800 “emergency” rallies around the country were prepared if Trump dismissed Rosenstein or the special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest More than 800 protests are already planned. Photograph: Nobody is above the law

MoveOn and more than a dozen other activist organizations, including Indivisible and Women’s March, have been working on the protests for weeks. The groups have set out how the emergency rallies would work in a detailed plan on trumpisnotabovethelaw.org.

If Trump moved to fire Rosenstein or Mueller before 2pm local time, activists would spring into action at 5pm the same day. If the president dismissed Mueller later, protests would begin at midday the day after.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rod Rosenstein. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP

CNN and the New York Times both reported this week that Trump had been weighing firing Rosenstein, who according to reports personally approved the raid on the offices and home of Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday.

People can search for their nearest rallies, and sign up to attend events, here.

Iron Stache looking good in Wisconsin

Paul Ryan’s announcement that he will resign at the end of his term offered even more hope to Randy “Iron Stache” Bryce – the ironworker backed by small donations who is running in Wisconsin’s first congressional district.

Trump narrowly won the district in 2016 and Bryce, a union member who has railed against tax cuts for the rich, believes he is the man to win those voters back. He’s raised $4.75m to date, with 75% coming in increments of $200 or less, the Guardian’s Dominic Rushe reported on Thursday:

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Randy ‘Iron Stache’ Bryce. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Bryce sees change coming, and is determined to be a leader of it. For too long politicians have served the interests of corporate donors and the rich – and not working people, he said. Trump won because he spoke to those disenfranchised people. But he lied, said Bryce, and along with Ryan he has further tilted the playing field against workers. “They won’t be happy until people in Wisconsin have dirt floors,” said Bryce. Even before he announced his resignation, Ryan had not held a public event in the district for over 900 days. Bryce said Ryan was “scared to death about” about how voters would respond to the “tax scam” – Trump’s $1.5tn tax overhaul.

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