Amid furor, Trump pushes pause on deciding Rosenstein’s fate

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — A big story had broken, and President Donald Trump was seeking opinions about what to do.

Reports said the second-ranking Justice Department official had suggested wearing a wire to secretly record Trump, and also raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment, which deals with removing a president from office.

On Air Force One flights to and from a Missouri rally last week, Trump polled his staff on the plane, called his outside network of advisers and kept a careful eye on what his favorite Fox News hosts were recommending about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

The messages were mixed. More favored containing Trump’s urge to fire Rosenstein. That step would mean open war with the Justice Department and cast doubt on the future of the special counsel’s Russia probe.