Pompeo tells critics to quit after Trump competence report

NEW YORK: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that US officials should either support President Donald Trump or quit after a report that the Justice Department´s Number Two discussed ways to remove Trump over mental incompetence.

The New York Times reported last week that deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had suggested secretly recording Trump to set the stage for pursuing the US Constitution´s 25th Amendment, which provides for the cabinet and then Congress to force out a president who is incapable of discharging duties.

Asked whether he had heard talk of wiretapping or invoking the 25th Amendment, Pompeo told "Fox News Sunday" in an interview: "Not remotely." But he said when asked about Rosenstein: "I've been pretty clear since the beginning of service here in this administration, if you can´t be on the team, if you´re not supporting this mission, then maybe you just ought to find something else to do."

Pompeo, who has been steadfastly loyal to Trump in public and who earlier headed the CIA, said that the administration needed all staffers "engaged in helping achieve President Trump´s mission."

Rosenstein has denied the Times report. Another official said that Rosenstein made the comments about taping Trump in jest. Rosenstein is under an intense spotlight -- and fire from Trump -- as he oversees the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into whether the real estate mogul´s campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. He reportedly became alarmed after Trump cited a memo written by Rosenstein to fire FBI director James Comey.