Mueller is here to stay - for now
The White House said Monday that despite President Trump’s “frustration” with Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian influence during the 2016 election, there have been “no conversations” about removing the special counsel.
“There are no conversations or discussions about removing Mueller,” deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said, and then stated: “There has been no collusion.”
He said the president has a “well-established frustration” with Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.
“The president believes this is the biggest witch hunt in history,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump traveled to New Hampshire for an announcement about how his administration would deal with the country’s opioid epidemic.
Earlier Monday, Trump used those same words in a tweet once again attacking the investigation.
“A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!” he posted.
Trump’s tweet was among a series of posts over the weekend slamming Mueller and his investigation, former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
The tweets were prompted by Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ firing of McCabe late Friday over accusations he lacked “candor” with federal investigators and leaked stories to the media.
The onslaught of posts led lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans — to defend Mueller.
GOP Sen. Lindsay Graham on CNN’s “State of the Union” said that if Trump fired Mueller, “that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency because we are a rule-of-law nation.”
Later Sunday, Trump’s personal lawyer Ty Cobb tried to calm speculation that Mueller’s firing was imminent.
“In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the administration, the White House yet again confirms that the president is not considering or discussing the firing of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, ” he said.