Trump says he has no plans to fire Robert Mueller

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/AP)

published 18 December 2017

Despite new public tensions between the White House and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office, and increasingly strident criticism from conservative pundits of Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation, President Trump told reporters Sunday night that he is not planning to fire Mueller. "No, I'm not," he said when asked outside the White House. He added that how the investigation is being conducted is "not looking good," though, saying "my people were very upset to see" emails from his presidential transition team handed over to Mueller and that there was "no collusion" between his campaign and Russia.

Earlier Sunday, several White House officials said there has been no discussion of firing Mueller in the White House. "As the White House has repeatedly and emphatically said for months, there is no consideration about firing or replacing the special counsel with whom the White House has fully cooperated in order to permit a fully vetted yet prompt conclusion," Trump lawyer Ty Cobb, who's overseeing the Russia investigations response, said in a statement.

"Trump has watched Fox News Channel segments attacking Mueller's investigation, advisers said, including those by Jeanine Pirro," The Washington Post reports, but according to Trump friends and associates, the president blames Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein more for the investigation than Mueller.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.