Republicans to Trump: Hands off Mueller

Source: Politico | June 12, 2017 | Austin Wright and Kyle Cheney

As Trump allies call for special counsel’s firing, GOP lawmakers say former FBI director gives them comfort

Republican lawmakers have a warning for President Donald Trump: Don’t mess with Robert Mueller.

Some Trump allies have begun agitating for Trump to fire the man appointed just last month as a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Late Monday, PBS’ Judy Woodruff reported that, per a close friend, Chris Ruddy, Trump himself is weighing the prospect of pulling the plug on Mueller’s probe. And one of the president’s lawyers said Sunday that Trump hadn’t taken that option off the table.

But that would be a huge mistake, Republican lawmakers said Monday.

“It would be a disaster,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) “There’s no reason to fire Mueller. What’s he done to be fired?”

Mueller’s investigation is widely considered the most threatening to Trump’s presidency. It encompasses questions about whether Trump associates colluded with Russians to influence the 2016 election — and, more recently, whether Trump himself may have obstructed the FBI’s inquiry when he abruptly fired former FBI director James Comey. It is also a probe that is largely out of Trump’s control.

The White House late Monday said in a statement that Ruddy “never spoke to the President regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the President or his attorneys are authorized to comment.”

On Capitol Hill, Mueller’s appointment seemed to calm nerves after the firing of Comey. A former FBI director who served for 12 years under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Mueller won bipartisan praise last month, when he was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to oversee the Russia probe.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said the notion firing Mueller, would “certainly be an extraordinarily unwise move.”

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But overwhelmingly, GOP lawmakers heaped praise on Mueller and said they trusted him to lead a fair and thorough probe.

“I think there’s a lot of confidence in Mueller around here,” added Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) “We’ve all dealt with him.”

And a number of GOP lawmakers, including Sen. John McCain, reiterated that they remain confident in him to lead an impartial investigation.

“He’s a very much trusted individual and had an outstanding record as head of the FBI,” McCain said.

Even some of Trump’s closest allies in Congress are warning against any rush to nix the Mueller probe.

“I think Bob Mueller’s as good as you’re going to find. I don’t see any reason to remove him now,” said Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who has largely defended Trump throughout the investigation into potential Russia ties.

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