Trump Attends UNGA Amid Growing Controversy Surrounding Rosenstein, Kavanaugh
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) - President Donald Trump was in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, but there was plenty going on back in the nation's capital.
Sources told CBS News Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was expecting to be fired Monday morning, but an update from the White House spared any decision until later this week.
Over the weekend, Rosenstein reportedly expressed thoughts about quitting his post, but he has not yet resigned.
Shortly before 1 p.m., White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump would meet with the Rosenstein on Thursday.
Statement on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein: pic.twitter.com/yBgAydv9oR
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) September 24, 2018
"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," said Sanders. "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, DC."
Rosenstein did not respond to reporters' question when leaving his home in Bethesda, Maryland on Monday morning.
His expected dismissal comes after last week's New York Times report that claimed he suggested taping President Donald Trump in the White House to "expose the chaos consuming the administration."
The report also alleged Rosenstein discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit.
Rosenstein has denied the reports.
Rosenstein is currently in charge of the Russia investigation. If he is fired or resigns, oversight of the probe by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller will pass to Solicitor General Noel Francisco.
Meanwhile, the president held fast to supporting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying the sexual misconduct allegations against his choice are "totally political."
Trump, at the United Nations in New York, declared that Kavanaugh is "outstanding," and added, "I am with him all the way."
He spoke as Kavanaugh's nomination came under another cloud as The New Yorker published the account of a second woman who says he exposed himself to her while they were students at Yale. The woman said Kavanaugh forced her to come in contact with his penis while both were inebriated at a party.
The first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, has said Kavanaugh assaulted her in high school. She says he covered her mouth and tried to remove her clothing. Ford and Kavanaugh are expected to testify on Thursday.
Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.
Earlier on Monday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on "CBS This Morning" that the allegations against Kavanaugh are "starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy."
"I know there's pent-up demand for women to get their day, women who have been sexually harassed and sexually assaulted, and I personally am very aggrieved for all of them, but we cannot put decades of pent-up demand for women to feel whole on one man's shoulders. What exactly is the standard for ruining one man's life based on decades of allegations that have nothing to do with him?" said Conway.
She added, "I just don't think one man's shoulders should bear decades of the MeToo movement."
The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday night that Senate Democrats were investigating a second woman's accusation of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh dating to the 1983-84 academic year, Kavanaugh's first at Yale University.
The New Yorker said 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine. Ramirez recalled that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away, the magazine reported.
In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh said the event "did not happen" and that the allegation was "a smear, plain and simple." A White House spokeswoman added in a second statement that the allegation was "designed to tear down a good man."
The new information came hours after the Senate committee agreed to a date and time for a hearing after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ford would appear to tell her story.
I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018
Also on Monday, Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, tweeted that he represents another woman "with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh."
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)