Congressional Republicans are divided over the Mueller probe


As Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation takes a turn for the serious with the indictment of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, congressional Republicans have not spoken in a unified voice — if they have spoken at all.
Indiana Rep. Jim Banks (R) was among the first to comment after Monday's news that Manafort was indeed Mueller's first target, reaffirming his support for Mueller's independent probe:
Likewise, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) issued a brief statement on Facebook. "In light of today's news on the Mueller probe, I wanted to express my continued support for this investigation," she wrote. "The investigation into possible Russian interference in our election cycle is a serious matter and it's important for our political process to allow it to continue so that we may get the facts." Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) on Fox News Sunday also encouraged his fellow Republicans to "give [Mueller] a chance to do his job," calling Mueller "a pretty apolitical guy."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
At the other end of the spectrum, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said Friday — before Manafort was identified as the indictment target — that "Mueller is compromised by his apparent conflict of interest in being close with [former FBI Director] James Comey" and therefore should resign.
Apparently attempting to split the difference was Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy (R), who said on CNN on Monday that although the indictment is "not good" for Manafort, it not fair to say Manafort's actions should "taint" President Trump. "If [Manafort] had these interactions before the campaign, that doesn't mean he brought Donald Trump into his mess," Duffy argued. Similarly, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday she's seen evidence of Russian election meddling but not yet collusion by the Trump campaign.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs