Trump says he has no plans to fire Justice Department’s Rosenstein

ORLANDO, Florida/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has no plans to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the Justice Department official in charge of the federal investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

FILE PHOTO: Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein holds his copy of the U.S. Constitution as he participates in a Law Day event at the Newseum in Washington, U.S. May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

There has been widespread speculation that Trump might oust Rosenstein, a frequent target of Trump’s tweeted criticism, after a New York Times report that he had made remarks about Trump’s fitness for office and offered to record conversations with him.

Rosenstein has denied the Sept. 21 New York Times report as “inaccurate and factually incorrect.” The article said that while Rosenstein had made the suggestions over concern about chaos in the administration, none of them actually came to fruition.

Asked by a reporter if he had any plans to fire Rosenstein, Trump said, “No I don’t, no.”

Rosenstein oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Russia denies interfering and Trump says there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

Rosenstein traveled with Trump on Air Force One to Orlando on Monday, where the president was set to give a speech to police chiefs.

Trump and Rosenstein met for about 30 minutes during the flight, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said.

Upon landing, Rosenstein was seen smiling and appeared at ease as he walked down the front stairs of Air Force One alongside Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly.

Gidley declined to provide further details about the private discussion, but said Rosenstein still had a job.

Trump told reporters on Monday that he has a “good relationship” with Rosenstein.

“I didn’t know Rod before, but I’ve gotten to know him, and I get along very well with him,” he said.