Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein released a statement Thursday evening that has left some wondering what is happening at the Department of Justice.
"Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories attributed to anonymous 'officials,' particularly when they do not identify the country -- let alone the branch or agency of government -- with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated," the statement reads. "Americans should be skeptical about anonymous allegations. The Department of Justice has a long-established policy to neither confirm nor deny such allegations."
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted the statement and noted that she has "literally never seen a statement like this."
She was retweeting Jonathan Lemire, the White House reporter for the Associated Press, who noted it was "an odd statement - that feels consistent with the White House's recent war on leaks."
Even fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara attacked the message, saying, "Americans should also exercise caution before accepting as true lies about firing of FBI Director and defamation of a war hero special counsel."
"Where is Rod Rosenstein's overdue statement responding to the President's repeated attacks on his appointment of Robert Mueller?" he continued.
The statement left the internet wondering if it was forced by President Donald Trump -- or if the Justice Department was hacked. Others wondered if it meant that a tape is about to surface that shows Trump with the alleged Russian prostitutes that appeared in the previously reported British dossier.
See a selection below:
