The White House is casting the expected departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in coming weeks as Rosenstein's choice alone.

However, AP reporter Eric Tucker says although Rosenstein's departure is not unexpected, it could affect the Mueller probe.

"Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said Rosenstein had always planned to stay around two years. She told a network interviewer there was no "willingness" by Trump or the White House to force Rosenstein out.

She says he wants to help with the transition to a new attorney general.

Tucker says Rosenstein's exit raises questions about how Trump nominee William Barr will deal with Mueller once Barr is confirmed.

"There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department," Tucker says.

"Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that.

Barr is scheduled to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for his confirmation hearings. He could be installed at the Justice Department as early as February.

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller," Tucker said.

"We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

1. FILE: Rod Rosenstein walks to podium for speech on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"I would note that Rod Rosenstein's departure is not unusual or unexpected. It is common for attorneys general and cabinet secretaries to want their own deputy or number two official. So, it makes sense and is logical that if Bill Barr comes in as the new attorney general that Rod Rosenstein would then depart as an ordinary course of business. And to that end we don't have any indication that he is being forced out, or is being asked to leave by the White House, although we are hearing that Bill Barr did tell some friends that he did definitely want his own number two."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

3. FILE: Rod Rosenstein speaking on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"There is no doubt that Rod Rosenstein's departure has the impact of potentially affecting the final stages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. After all, Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 November 2018

5. FILE: Mid of Rod Rosenstein speaking a press conference on international hacking scheme

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"But, there are still other people within the department who would be involved in the work of Mueller. And there is a likelihood that Mueller might be in his final stages so that there aren't that many more weeks and months left for a new attorney general to be supervising the investigation. But for now, once Barr is confirmed, he would assume ultimate oversight of the investigation the same way that acting attorney general Matt Whitaker currently has ultimate oversight."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

7. FILE: Rosenstein enters Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"It's not clear what the end of the Mueller investigation will look like, or when that might occur. He's been at work for more than a year and a half. There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department. Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

9. FILE: Various of Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller. We know that Mueller wants an in-person interview that the president and his lawyers have resisted. So then the question becomes can the special counsel and the Justice Department move to subpoena him, to basically compel his testimony. We don't know whether that will happen, and we don't know what Rosenstein's perspective on that is. We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

POOL

Washington, DC - 23 March 2018

11. FILE: Rosenstein speaking at Department of Justice announcing the charges of 9 Iranians in a hacking scheme

The White House is casting the expected departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in coming weeks as Rosenstein's choice alone.

However, AP reporter Eric Tucker says although Rosenstein's departure is not unexpected, it could affect the Mueller probe.

"Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said Rosenstein had always planned to stay around two years. She told a network interviewer there was no "willingness" by Trump or the White House to force Rosenstein out.

She says he wants to help with the transition to a new attorney general.

Tucker says Rosenstein's exit raises questions about how Trump nominee William Barr will deal with Mueller once Barr is confirmed.

"There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department," Tucker says.

"Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that.

Barr is scheduled to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for his confirmation hearings. He could be installed at the Justice Department as early as February.

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller," Tucker said.

"We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

1. FILE: Rod Rosenstein walks to podium for speech on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"I would note that Rod Rosenstein's departure is not unusual or unexpected. It is common for attorneys general and cabinet secretaries to want their own deputy or number two official. So, it makes sense and is logical that if Bill Barr comes in as the new attorney general that Rod Rosenstein would then depart as an ordinary course of business. And to that end we don't have any indication that he is being forced out, or is being asked to leave by the White House, although we are hearing that Bill Barr did tell some friends that he did definitely want his own number two."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

3. FILE: Rod Rosenstein speaking on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"There is no doubt that Rod Rosenstein's departure has the impact of potentially affecting the final stages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. After all, Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 November 2018

5. FILE: Mid of Rod Rosenstein speaking a press conference on international hacking scheme

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"But, there are still other people within the department who would be involved in the work of Mueller. And there is a likelihood that Mueller might be in his final stages so that there aren't that many more weeks and months left for a new attorney general to be supervising the investigation. But for now, once Barr is confirmed, he would assume ultimate oversight of the investigation the same way that acting attorney general Matt Whitaker currently has ultimate oversight."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

7. FILE: Rosenstein enters Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"It's not clear what the end of the Mueller investigation will look like, or when that might occur. He's been at work for more than a year and a half. There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department. Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

9. FILE: Various of Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller. We know that Mueller wants an in-person interview that the president and his lawyers have resisted. So then the question becomes can the special counsel and the Justice Department move to subpoena him, to basically compel his testimony. We don't know whether that will happen, and we don't know what Rosenstein's perspective on that is. We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

POOL

Washington, DC - 23 March 2018

11. FILE: Rosenstein speaking at Department of Justice announcing the charges of 9 Iranians in a hacking scheme