How do you know why Rosenstein did what he did? So the President gave an interview and made an ill-considered off-the-cuff statement. So what. If Rosenstein had an issue with the statement he could have addressed it privately with his boss (the President) and the communications office could have issued a follow-up clarification. This sort of clarification is routine and has been done countless times by all administrations.
1. He has said so.
2. I would have done the same thing.
So what. If Rosenstein had an issue with the statement he could have addressed it privately with his boss (the President) and the communications office could have issued a follow-up clarification.
Read what you just posted there and think about it again in the context of what transpired. You're saying the Deputy AG should address a matter privately after the President of the United States rolled it out in public on national television? That makes no sense.
As any competent lawyer will tell you, the time to address these things privately with a lawyer is BEFORE you make an ass out of yourself on national television, not afterwards.
Here's the only way Rosenstein could have dealt with this privately: "What the 'eff were you doing giving that kind of interview with NBC News anyway, you moron?"