• President Donald Trump’s disposition toward Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appears to have shifted drastically as of late.
  • The president now claims they have a “great relationship.”
  • Trump and Rosenstein reportedly speak twice a week, often on the phone, and the deputy attorney general visits the White House several times a week.
  • When asked about his rapport with Rosenstein by The Wall Street Journal, Trump said, “It’s fantastic.”

President Donald Trump’s disposition toward Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appears to have shifted as of late, and the president claims they now have a “great relationship.”

Rosenstein has frequently been the target of ire from Trump and fellow Republicans, mostly over his oversight of the special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russian election interference. But that seems to have changed of late, at least when it comes to the president.

Trump and Rosenstein reportedly speak at least twice a week, often on the phone, and the deputy attorney general visits the White House several times a week, The Wall Street Journal reported. Rosenstein also prepares Trump’s team ahead of major news announcements, according to the report.

When asked about his rapport with Rosenstein by The Wall Street Journal, Trump said, “It’s fantastic,” adding, “We have a great relationship. Make sure you tell them that.”

A spokeswoman for Rosenstein told the Journal that he and the president have a "productive working relationship."

In recent months, various reports have suggested Trump was considering firing Rosenstein due to his anger over the Mueller probe, which the president has referred to as a "witch hunt."

Rosenstein appointed Mueller to lead the investigation, and firing him would give Trump the opportunity to pick a new deputy attorney general with the authority to replace Mueller. But doing so would prompt a political uproar and fresh questions about whether the president would be attempting to obstruct justice in Mueller's investigation.

Some Republicans in Congress have also mounted an effort to impeach Rosenstein, but that effort has been opposed by GOP leadership.