--- title: President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team' description: President Donald Trump asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if he was "on my team" in a December meeting. canonical: https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-31T21:30:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:39.707Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team' og:description: The latest in a string of loyalty demands og:url: https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b7b86eeca6793ba/6988d2204ee262246830dc53/gettyimages-695595202.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4759 og:image:height: 2677 og:image:alt: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Testifies To Committee On Justice Dept.'s Budget og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team' twitter:description: The latest in a string of loyalty demands twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b7b86eeca6793ba/6988d2204ee262246830dc53/gettyimages-695595202.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team': Report > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=30c82132-31d1-4f57-86f5-e7dcbc97ea7b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=30c82132-31d1-4f57-86f5-e7dcbc97ea7b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=30c82132-31d1-4f57-86f5-e7dcbc97ea7b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=30c82132-31d1-4f57-86f5-e7dcbc97ea7b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch Former FBI Director James Comey Testimony's In Under 4 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Former FBI Director James Comey Testimony's In Under 4 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2q2ri9od.m3u8) (3:58)  _Published 2017-06-08. Former FBI Director James Comey spoke in public for the first time about his relationship with President Donald Trump and the circumstances that led to his firing. He called White House descriptions of his firing as "lies, plain and simple."_ by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Jan 31, 2018 9:30 PM UTC  Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies during a Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's proposed FY18 budget on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Zach Gibson—Getty Images Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies during a Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's proposed FY18 budget on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Zach Gibson—Getty Images Zach Gibson—Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Jan 31, 2018 9:30 PM UTC President Donald Trump asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if he was “on my team” in a December meeting at the White House, [according to CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-december-meeting/index.html). In a report cited to “sources familiar with the meeting” by CNN, Trump asked Rosenstein — who oversees special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — where the Russia probe is going and may have inquired about his loyalty. “Of course, we’re all on your team, Mr. President,” Rosenstein told Trump awkwardly, CNN reported. It’s unclear how Rosenstein interpreted the remark, either. When testifying before a House committee in December, he denied ever having been asked to take a loyalty pledge. “Nobody has asked me to take a loyalty pledge, other than the oath of office,” Rosenstein [testified](https://archive.org/details/CSPAN3%5F20171215%5F185100%5FDeputy%5FAttorney%5FGeneral%5FRosenstein%5FTestifies%5FBefore%5FHouse%5FJudiciary...). The report is the latest in a string of episodes in which Trump appeared to press or demand law enforcement officials and members of the judiciary who are supposed to remain independent for their loyalty. In a private dinner with then-FBI Director James Comey in January, Trump asked if he wanted to remain in his job and told him [“I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,”](http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-trump-demanded-loyalty-asked-for-end-1496859119-htmlstory.html) as Comey testified to Congress later. In February, Trump was reportedly angry over comments made by Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch that he considered pulling his nomination over concerns that he would not be “loyal,” [according to the Washington _Post_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-reportedly-considered-rescinding-gorsuchs-nomination/2017/12/18/ad2b3b68-e1c7-11e7-9eb6-e3c7ecfb4638%5Fstory.html?hpid=hp%5Frhp-top-table-main%5Fgorsuch-9pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm%5Fterm=.cc60642d8c61). After Trump fired Comey, he then asked Acting Director Andrew McCabe how he voted in the 2016 election during a meeting in the Oval Office in May, as the _Post_ [reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-asked-the-acting-fbi-director-whom-he-voted-for-during-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/23/2cb50818-0073-11e8-8acf-ad2991367d9d%5Fstory.html?hpid=hp%5Frhp-top-table-main%5Fmccabe-815pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm%5Fterm=.01b745028194) later. In a December [interview with the New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/us/politics/trump-interview-mueller-russia-china-north-korea.html?%5Fr=1), Trump also praised former Attorney General Eric Holder for showing loyalty to President Obama: “I don’t want to get into loyalty, but I will tell you that, I will say this: Holder protected President Obama. Totally protected him … And I have great respect for that, I’ll be honest.” Trump has long valued loyalty. A cursory review of his Twitter account reveals [dozens of times](http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/archive) when he has accused everyone from Ted Cruz to Hillary Clinton to the Macy’s department chain of being disloyal. > [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/702141081027104769) > [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/685057265989189632) > [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/757335224397225984) In his 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal,” Trump praised his friend, the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn, for his loyalty. “Just compare that with all the hundreds of ‘respectable’ guys who make careers out of boasting about their uncompromising integrity but have absolutely no loyalty,” he wrote. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway confirmed in a May interview after Comey was fired that loyalty was an important part of the White House culture. “The president expects people who are serving in his administration to be loyal to the country and to be loyal to the administration,” she [told](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/11/trump-loyalty-james-comey-firing-238262?lo=ap%5Fe1) Fox News. But in the world of law enforcement and the judiciary, loyalty is a troubling concept, as prosecutors and judges are expected to pledge their loyalty only to the Constitution. ## Transcript You solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, the nothing but the truth, so help me God. I do. Please be seated. When I was appointed FBI Director in 2013, I understood that I served at the pleasure of the President. And although the law required no reason at all to fire an FBI Director, the adminstration then chose To defame me, and more importantly, the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader. Those were lies, plain and simple and I am so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them. And I'm so sorry that the American people were told them. I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning, but that's a conclusion I'm sure the special counsel will work towards to try and understand what the intention was there, and whether that's an offense. I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document. You've seen the picture of me walking across the Blue Room, and what the President whispered in my ear was, " I really look forward to working with you ." So after those encounters... And that was just a few days before you were fired. Yeah, that was on the 20... the sunday after the inauguration. The next Friday I have dinner and the president begins by wanting to talk about my job. And so I'm sitting there thinking, wait a minute, three times we've already, you've already asked me to stay or talked about me staying. And my common sense, again I could be wrong, but my common sense told me what's going on here is Hes looking to get something in exchange for granting my request to stay in the job. My impression was something big is about to happen I need to remember every single word that is spoken and again I could be wrong I am 56 years old I've been I've seen a few things my sense was the attorney general knew. He shouldn't be leaving, which is why he was lingering. And I don't know Mr. Kushner well, but I think he picked up on the same thing. And so I knew something was about to happen, and I need to know very close attention to. So look I've seen a tweet about tapes, Lordy I hope they are tapes. President tweeted on Friday after I got fired, that I better hope there's not tapes I woke up in the middle of the night on Monday night, cuz it didn't dawn on me originally, that there might be corroboration for our conversation. There might be a tape, and my judgement was, I needed to get that out into the public square. So I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter. Didn't do it myself for a variety of reasons, but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special council. And so I asked a close friend of mine to do it. And then you made a comment earlier about the attorney general, previous attorney general, asking you about the investigation on the Clinton emails saying that you'd been asked not to ask to call it an investigation anymore but to call it a matter. And you said that confused you. Can you give us additional details on that? Well it concerned me because we were at the point where we had refused to confirm the existence, as we typically do, of an investigation for months. And it was getting to a place where that looked silly because the campaigns were talking about interacting with the FBI in the course of our work. The Clinton campaign at the time was using all kinds of euphemisms. Security review, matters, things like that for what was going on. We were getting to a place where the attorney general and I were both gonna have to testify and talk publicly about it. And I wanna know what she gonna authorize us to confirm we had an investigation. And she said yes, but don't call it that. Call it a matter. And I said why would I do that? And she said, just call it a matter. And so that concerned me, because that language tracked the way the campaign was talking about the FBI's work, and that's concerning. All I can do is hope. The President, surely, knows whether he taped me. And if he did, my feelings aren't hurt, release all the tapes. I'm good with it. Got you. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/"},"headline":"President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team': Report","datePublished":"2018-01-31T21:30:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:53:39.707Z","description":"President Donald Trump asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if he was \"on my team\" in a December meeting.","url":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/","keywords":["Donald Trump","russia","White House","justice","James Comey","Robert Mueller"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b7b86eeca6793ba/6988d2204ee262246830dc53/gettyimages-695595202.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ryan Teague Beckwith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b7b86eeca6793ba/6988d2204ee262246830dc53/gettyimages-695595202.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Testifies To Committee On Justice Dept.'s Budget","caption":"Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Testifies To Committee On Justice Dept.'s Budget","creditText":"Zach Gibson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/","name":"President Trump Asked Rod Rosenstein If He Was 'On My Team': Report"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch Former FBI Director James Comey Testimony's In Under 4 Minutes","description":"Former FBI Director James Comey spoke in public for the first time about his relationship with President Donald Trump and the circumstances that led to his firing. He called White House descriptions of his firing as \"lies, plain and simple.\"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/2q2ri9od/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-06-08T17:21:13.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2q2ri9od.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/","duration":"PT3M58S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5127815/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-team/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```