THE New York Times on Friday published an explosive story revealing the allegation that deputy attorney-general, Rod J. Rosenstein suggested secretly recording US president Donald Trump and using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office as an emergency measure.

According to The Times, Mr Rosenstein suggested last year that he secretly record Mr Trump as he behaves in the White House, in order to expose the behind-closed-doors chaos of the Trump administration.

Mr Rosenstein also allegedly discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows them to remove the president if he is unfit for office.

Mr Rosenstein was said to make these suggestions in 2017 when Mr Trump fired FBI director James Comey, sending the White House into the first of many waves of turmoil, including an incident in which Mr Trump divulged classified information to Russians in the Oval Office.

The Times says that Mr Rosenstein was only two weeks into his job when he made the remarks about secretly recording Mr. Trump and about the 25th Amendment in meetings and conversations with other Justice Department and FBI officials.

Several people described the episodes, insisting on anonymity.

None of Mr. Rosenstein’s proposals eventuated and it is unknown how serious they were, although the Times says Mr Rosenstein did tell FBI official Andrew G. McCabe that he might be able to persuade attorney-general Jeff Sessions and John F. Kelly, then the secretary of homeland security and now the White House chief of staff, to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Mr. Rosenstein has disputed this account and released the following statement:

“The New York Times’s story is inaccurate and factually incorrect.

“I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”

A Justice Department spokeswoman since provided a seconhand statement from a person who was present when Mr Rosenstein allegedly proposed wearing a wire.

The person, who remains anonymous, has admitted that the remark made by Mr. Rosenstein was said sarcastically.