The Washington Post Editorial Board says members of Congress should convince President Trump not to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein when the two meet Thursday at the White House, saying the latter has carried out his responsibilities with integrity and made an excellent choice in selecting Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel.
Mr. Trump has never forgiven [Jeff] Sessions for recusing himself and has routinely attacked him and Mr. Rosenstein for the Mueller “witch hunt.” Never mind that the probe has already resulted in guilty pleas from five former Trump associates.
Mr. Rosenstein also surely did not endear himself to the president as he resisted the disclosure of sensitive Justice Department documents to pro-Trump provocateurs in the House of Representatives, whose goal is to discredit federal law enforcement and its investigation of Russia’s influence campaign during the 2016 presidential election. Some House Republicans even moved to impeach Mr. Rosenstein in the dispute over the documents. “The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted,” Mr. Rosenstein declared in May.
Between now and Thursday, lawmakers should insist that Mr. Trump leave Mr. Rosenstein alone, making clear that a move against the deputy attorney general would provoke a backlash at least as damaging as Mr. Trump’s 2017 firing of Mr. Comey. Republicans in Congress previously refused to pass legislation insulating the Mueller probe from Mr. Trump’s wrath, arguing that it was not necessary. That argument was never plausible, and lawmakers may be nearly out of time.
Full piece: Trump should leave Rod Rosenstein alone (WaPo Opinion)