Donald Trump has demanded that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election should be stopped immediately.
The US president called on Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, to halt the investigation that has dogged his presidency almost since it began. Some Trump critics suggested that the demand is tantamount to obstruction of justice.
Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the tweet was “an attempt to obstruct justice hiding in plain sight” and that “America must never accept it.”
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Mueller is still seeking to interview Trump about his role in the campaign. He has “offered to reduce the number of obstruction-related questions” to be put to the president, CNN reports, provided he answer those questions in person.
The timing of the latest outburst on the topic by Trump is noteworthy, coming as former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort appeared in court for the first trial resulting from the Mueller investigation.
Trump tweeted his support for Manafort, who is charged with tax fraud, financial conspiracy and failing to report foreign earnings, “comparing his plight to the Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone”, The Times reports.
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