The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee meeting on Thursday abruptly stepped out of a long-scheduled hearing on worldwide threats for a previously-undisclosed meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

The two lawmakers said that they had requested the meeting prior to President Trump's shocking decision to fire former FBI director James B. Comey on Tuesday — a move that came after a recommendation by Rosenstein, though Trump on Thursday said he was going to fire Comey regardless.

NEW: Video shows Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein arriving on Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Intel leadership. https://t.co/n7TqA3VDnW pic.twitter.com/w2qcI7m5LD — ABC News (@ABC) May 11, 2017

Rosenstein did not discuss his role in Comey's dismissal, according to chair Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrRep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy Overnight Defense: Trump rejects major cut to military health care | Senate report says Trump campaign's Russia contacts posed 'grave' threat Senate report describes closer ties between 2016 Trump campaign, Russia MORE (R-N.C.), although ranking member Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerIntelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Overnight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats MORE (D-Va.) said he raised the director's ouster as evidence of the need for a special prosecutor.

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The decision to appoint a special prosecutor to the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the election rests with Rosenstein. Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE has recused himself from the case.

Instead, the two lawmakers worked with Rosenstein to coordinate their concurrent investigation into Russian interference in the election. Congressional probes typically seek to avoid interfering with any Justice Department investigations that cover the same ground.

"We felt that there was a great need to set up a process for deconfliction, so when we had witnesses we needed to talk to, we made sure we weren't stepping on top of [the active investigation]," Burr said.

The committee on Wednesday issued a subpoena for documents from former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

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Both Burr and Warner called the meeting successful in its stated objective, although Warner added that he still felt concerns over Rosenstein's role in Comey's departure.

"I expressed — and this is where the chairman and I disagree — the need for this narrowly-tailed independent counsel. He took it under advisement," Warner said.

U.S. Attorney Dana Boente was also present for the meeting.

The surprise meeting caused an uproar Thursday morning when Rosenstein was seen walking into the committee's meeting space just moments before Burr unexpectedly handed off the gavel to Sen. Tom Cotton Tom Bryant CottonLoeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Health care in the crosshairs with new Trump Supreme Court list Cruz says he wouldn't accept Supreme Court nomination MORE (R-Ark.).

He and Warner had a meeting "we can't push off," he told the panel, which included FBI acting director Andrew McCabe.

"The inmates are running the asylum!" crowed Cotton, taking the gavel as Burr and Warner slipped out of the back of the hearing room.

McCabe was providing testimony in lieu of Comey and had faced pointed questions from Democrats on the White House's level of involvement in the Russia investigation.

Justice Department spokesman Sarah Flores confirmed that the meeting was requested by the committee chairman "long before events of this week," calling the meeting.

"Nothing unusual," she said.

- This story was updated at 1:33 p.m.