WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House has finally ended a day of speculation about whether Donald Trump is considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, saying the president has “no intention” of doing so.
Still, that statement is unlikely to quell criticism of Mueller from some of Trump’s closest allies – including one of his sons. They have begun questioning whether Mueller’s wide-ranging investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election is becoming too political.
The effort to muddy the waters surrounding the investigation is coming amid growing White House concern that the probe could detract from the president’s agenda for months or years to come. Senators on Tuesday questioned both Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on how the inquiry is being handled.
Until now, Mueller had drawn widespread praise from Republicans and Democrats alike. Trump, who isn’t typically shy about leveling criticism, especially on Twitter, hasn’t commented on the longtime former FBI director. And leading Republican legislators on Tuesday waved off the idea of firing Mueller, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying that his advice was to “let Robert Mueller do his job” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voicing confidence in the special counsel.
But expressions of discontent with Mueller are bubbling up nonetheless.