Day 372: Of Course Trump Tried to Fire Mueller

Thursday, The New York Times dropped a bombshell, no matter how unsurprising: Donald Trump tried to fire Robert Mueller under the guise of extraordinarily flimsy rationale and was only stopped when his attorney threatened to resign.

First, he claimed that a dispute years ago over fees at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., had prompted Mr. Mueller, the F.B.I. director at the time, to resign his membership. The president also said Mr. Mueller could not be impartial because he had most recently worked for the law firm that previously represented the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Finally, the president said, Mr. Mueller had been interviewed to return as the F.B.I. director the day before he was appointed special counsel in May.

After receiving the president’s order to fire Mr. Mueller, the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, refused to ask the Justice Department to dismiss the special counsel, saying he would quit instead, the people said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.

Mr. McGahn disagreed with the president’s case and told senior White House officials that firing Mr. Mueller would have a catastrophic effect on Mr. Trump’s presidency. Mr. McGahn also told White House officials that Mr. Trump would not follow through on the dismissal on his own. The president then backed off.

When asked, Trump, as usual, called the report “fake news.” (Though, even Fox News is confirming the veracity of the Times’ account, despite the full-throated defenses by some of their pundits.)

This has been the M.O. for Trump: anyone that gets within 100 miles of the Russia probe must bend the knee to Trump or face firing.

Trump demanded personal loyalty from former FBI Director James Comey and asked Comey to drop the Michael Flynn investigation. Comey was fired when, per Trump’s own words, when he refused to drop the Russia investigation. Attorney General Jeff Sessions drew Trump’s ire — and reports have had him nearly fired or threatening resignation for many months — when he recused himself from the Russia investigation. Trump has publicly blasted Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing Mueller’s probe. Trump implored Sessions to push new FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire Andrew McCabe, one of Comey’s top lieutenants, after Trump asked McCabe who he voted for. Trump has pressured numerous prominent Republicans and intelligence officials to lie and say he is not under personal investigation.

This isn’t one stray misunderstanding, it’s a pattern of behavior that extends to everyone near the Russia probe.

Considering that he continues to assert total innocence, what’s Trump so worried about?

372 days in, 1090 to go

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