President Donald Trump on Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped short of targeting the special counsel - whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a "massive red line." In an early-morning flurry on Twitter, Trump insisted that Mueller's team of investigators is staffed with "hardened" Democrats biased against him.
"Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" Trump wrote. The night before, he had tweeted, "The Mueller probe should never have been started." The salvo was the latest in a growing confrontation over Mueller's investigation, which is probing whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russian attempts to sway the 2016 election in his favour, but also whether the president sought to obstruct justice.
Trump also took aim at former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who had been in the president's line of fire and was sacked on Friday, and former FBI director James Comey who was sacked by Trump last year over the Russia probe. It remains unclear when Mueller will conclude his investigation, but as it moves closer to the president, his inner circle and his business interests, he has lashed out ever more sharply.
Trump had warned last July that if Mueller broadened his inquiry to include the finances of the Trump Organization, it would be a "violation." But Mueller's team has now subpoenaed Russia-related documents from the president's business, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Until now, the president has steered clear of directly attacking Mueller, the former FBI director who took over the Russia probe after Comey's firing May 9, 2017. But he has taken aim at the special counsel's large team of lawyers, who were selected for their experience in financial fraud, money laundering, corruption, bribery and organized crime. "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added," Trump said. Republican allies of the president have seized upon the fact some of Mueller's team - seven out of 17 lawyers according to The Washington Post - previously donated money to Democratic political candidates.
The conservative website Daily Caller reported last month that 13 of the team were registered Democrats. But Mueller defenders say he, and more broadly the FBI, have safeguards in place to avoid letting any investigation be tainted by politics.
Mueller, who is widely respected in both political camps, was appointed FBI chief by the Republican president George W. Bush, and kept on under the Democrat Barack Obama. Lawmakers, including heavyweights from Trump's own Republican Party, issued pointed warnings Sunday that any attempt by the president to oust Mueller as special counsel would have grave consequences.
"He is following the evidence where it takes him and I think it's very important he be allowed to do his job, without interference," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on CNN. "And there are many Republicans who share my view." Any move to oust Mueller, Graham said, "would be the beginning of the end of his presidency. Because we're a rule of law nation." The Republican senator and frequent Trump critic Jeff Flake likewise warned on CNN that ousting Mueller was seen as "a massive red line that can't be crossed."
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