FBI/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump declared a reprieve Monday [10-8-18] for Rod Rosenstein , saying he has no plans to fire his deputy attorney general whose future has been the source of intense speculation for two weeks…The flight provided an opportunity for their most extensive conversation since news reports last month that Rosenstein had discussed the possibilities in early 2017 of secretly recording Trump to expose chaos in the White House and invoking constitutional provisions to have him removed from office. Those reports triggered an avalanche of speculation about the future of Rosenstein — and also the special counsel’s investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. The deputy attorney general appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to his special counsel post and closely oversees his work. Trump said earlier in the day that he had ‘a very good relationship’ with Rosenstein and was eager to speak with him aboard Air Force One on the flight to Florida. They did talk, for about 45 minutes, but not alone, a White House spokesman said. The subjects: violent crime in Chicago, support for local law enforcement, border security, the conference they were flying to and ‘general DOJ business,’ spokesman Hogan Gidley said without elaboration.”
–Eric Tucker and Jonathan Lemire, “Reprieve for Rosenstein: Trump says he’s not firing official,” The Los Angeles Times, October 9, 2018 6:30 pm