Trump told to back off special counsel
But GOP leaders reject need for bill to shield Mueller
WASHINGTON — More Republicans are telling President Donald Trump in ever blunter terms to lay off his escalating criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. But party leaders are taking no action to protect Mueller, embracing a familiar strategy with the president — simply waiting out the storm.
Trump blistered Mueller and his investigation all weekend on Twitter and started in again on Monday, questioning the probe’s legitimacy with language no recent president has used for a federal inquiry. “A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest!” Trump tweeted.
Mueller is leading a criminal probe i nto whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had ties to Russia and whether there has been obstruction of justice since then.
Meanwhile, Trump appears set to act on another subject that has drawn bipartisan, even global, criticism: tariffs. The president is preparing to impose a package of $60 billion in annual tariffs against Chinese products following through on a longtime threat that he says will punish China for intellectual property theft and create more American jobs.
The t ariff package, which Trump plans to unveil by Friday, was confirmed by four senior administration officials.
Senior aides had presented Trump with a $30 billion tariff package that would apply to a range of products, but Trump di- President Donald Trump’s legal team has provided documents to special counsel Robert Mueller summarizing its views on key matters being investigated, a source said. rected them to roughly double the scope of the new trade levies. The package could be applied to more than 100 products, which Trump argues were developed by using trade secrets the Chinese stole from U.S. companies or forced them to hand over in exchange for access to its massive market.
The situation remains fluid, and Trump has previously in his presidency backed off economic threats at the last minute. But he has shown a recent willingness to unilaterally impose tariffs — even amid objections from advisers who fear starting a global trade war and economists who warn such actions could ultimately hurt American businesses.
Trump earlier t his month ordered tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, a move U.S. allies and trading partners met with protests and threats of retaliatory tariffs. Gary Cohn, the top White House economic adviser, opposed the metal tariffs and announced his resignation.
Regarding the Mueller probe, Trump was told to cut it out on Sunday by such notable Republicans as Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Then on Monday he was told that firing Mueller would be “the stupidest thing the president could do” by Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
But Hatch, on CNN, also said he didn’t see any need for legislation to protect Mueller. And that sentiment was widely echoed by GOP leaders.
In recent months, bills to protect the special counsel have stalled, and Republican leaders have stuck to muted statements endorsing Mueller or denying he is in trouble. So far, that tactic has worked for them as Trump has lambasted the Russia investigation on Twitter but all owed Mueller to continue his work.
Democrats say legislation is needed.
“Immediately,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. And Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic, said, “If you don’t pick this fight, then we might as well not be here.”
But GOP leaders saw no reason to leap to stop a firing they don’t think is in sight.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen so I just think it’s not necessary, and obviously legislation requires a presidential signature,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. “I don’t see the necessity of picking that fight right now.”
Still, Cornyn said there would be “a number of unintended consequences” if Mueller were to be removed, and lawmakers had communicated that message to Trump “informally and formally.”
White House lawyer Ty Cobb issued a statement Sunday tamping down the speculation, saying Trump is not “considering or discussing” Mueller’s removal. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Trump has “some wellestablished frustration” about the probe but insisted there is no internal discussion about removing Mueller.
Separately, Trump’s legal team has provided documents to Mueller summarizing its views on key matters being investigated, according to a person familiar with the situation. That person insisted on anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The records were given as Trump’s lawyers negotiate with Mueller’s team about the scope and terms of a possible interview with the president.
Also, Trump added a new lawyer. Joseph diGenova, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, will join his team this week.
DiGenova has been outspoken in his defense of Trump, talking of a “brazen plot” to exonerate Hillary Clinton in an email investigation and to “frame” Trump with a “falsely created crime.”
Multiple White House officials said Monday that they believe Trump is now acutely aware of the political — and even legal — consequences of taking action against Mueller. For now, t hey predicted, Trump will snipe at Mueller from the outside.
Trump cannot f i re Mueller. Any dismissal, for cause, would have to be carried out by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller and has continued to express support.