Meanwhile, members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus backed off Thursday from their efforts to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the top Justice Department official overseeing Robert Mueller’s investigation. Republican congressmember and Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows says he will instead seek to charge Rosenstein with contempt of Congress if he doesn’t turn over documents Meadows is seeking. Rosenstein has said the documents contain personal data, information about intelligence sources and other sensitive information. The impeachment effort came over the objections of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said Thursday he backed the Justice Department’s number-two official.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “My deputy, Rod Rosenstein, is highly capable. I have the highest confidence in him.”