Trump lawyer threatened to quit if president fired Robert Mueller
Washington — US President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Russia investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller last year but the White House counsel’s threatened resignation pushed him to reverse course, US media reported on Thursday. Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president’s campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election, which Trump has repeatedly criticised and which he sees as an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency. Trump gave the order in June 2017, according to The New York Times, but White House counsel Don McGahn opposed the decision, telling senior officials it would have a "catastrophic effect" on Trump’s presidency. After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump backed down, the Times reported, citing four anonymous sources. The Washington Post, also citing anonymous sources, confirmed that Trump sought to fire Mueller but reconsidered after the White House counsel’s threat. White House counsel Ty Cobb declined to comment on ...
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