Trump Already Tried To Fire Robert Mueller, Was Stopped By White House Counsel
Trump ordered Special Counsel Mueller to be fired: New York Times report.
White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit when Trump ordered Mueller fired.
The obstruction of justice case against Donald Trump just got a little stronger.
According to a bombshell new report by The New York Times, Donald Trump ordered Special Counsel Robert Mueller to be fired.
“President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter, but ultimately backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive,” The New York Times reported Thursday.
The report by the New York Times is the first known attempt by President Trump to fire the Special Counsel.
Equally important, Special Counsel Mueller learned of Trump’s attempt to fire him during the course of his investigation. According to the Times report, “Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.”
Ultimately, Trump’s White House Counsel Don McGahn prevented Trump firing by threatening to quit.
“McGahn disagreed with the president’s case and told senior White House officials that firing Mr. Mueller would have a catastrophic effect on Mr. Trump’s presidency. Mr. McGahn also told White House officials that Mr. Trump would not follow through on the dismissal on his own,” according to the New York Times.
Another option Trump considered was removing deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and appointing Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand to oversee Mueller’s team of prosecutors.
Read the full New York Times report here.
