Rod Rosenstein couldn't sleep after his memo was used to fire James Comey, says Andrew McCabe
Yet another tell-all book about the Trump administration is on the way, and this one delves into the controversial firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
In a new book obtained by The Guardian, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe writes that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was upset when a memo he wrote was used by President Trump to justify Comey's firing in 2017, so upset he said he was "having trouble sleeping" over it.
The New York Times previously reported that Rosenstein was "shaken" over the Comey firing and felt "manipulated" by the White House. His memo criticized Comey's handling of the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's email use. Trump later said, though, that he was going to fire Comey regardless of whether Rosenstein wrote this memo. Comey's firing is of interest to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is reportedly investigating whether Trump obstructed justice with the move.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
McCabe's book also alleges that Trump ordered Rosenstein to write the Comey memo. “He said it wasn't his idea," McCabe writes of Rosenstein. "The president had ordered him to write the memo justifying the firing." Rosenstein also reportedly complained that "There's no one here that I can trust."
The White House in 2017 had denied Trump was involved with the memo being written, saying it was a "Justice Department decision," per The Washington Post. As The Guardian notes, Rosenstein also told Congress of the memo in 2017, "I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it." Following the firing, McCabe says the White House began offering him protection in exchange for loyalty, "trying to work me the way a criminal brigade would operate."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published