House Speaker Paul Ryan warned against firing special counsel Robert Mueller and said Thursday that Mueller and officials at the Justice Department should “be left to do their jobs.”
“My point is really clear. I’ve been saying the same thing all along. He should be left to do his job,” Ryan, R-Wis., told CBS News of Mueller. “We have a system based upon the rule of law. We need to respect that system, and I think we should just leave these guys to do their jobs.”
.@SpeakerRyan says he does not think Pres. Trump should fire special counsel Robert Mueller. “I think Bob Mueller and the career professionals at the DOJ should be left to do their jobs.” https://t.co/kaZz1aj2YW pic.twitter.com/H80RfSDWw5
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 12, 2018
Democrats and some Republicans in Congress remain worried that Trump will fire Mueller after the FBI raided the office, home and hotel of Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime lawyer.
Federal prosecutors obtained a search warrant for Cohen’s office after receiving a referral from Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
News of the raid angered Trump, who called the FBI’s actions “disgraceful” and told reporters the Mueller probe was a “witch hunt.” The president said “many people” had urged him to ax the special counsel.
The raid has also led lawmakers to fear for Rosenstein’s future at the Justice Department. Rosenstein, who has oversight over Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election due to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal, reportedly personally approved the FBI’s decision to conduct the raid.
Trump tweeted Thursday morning that if he wanted to fire Mueller, he would have done so already.
“If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him. Just more Fake News from a biased newspaper!” the president tweeted. The White House has also said repeatedly that there is no plan to fire Mueller.
But as fears Trump will get rid of Mueller have risen again, lawmakers are reviving bipartisan efforts to pass legislation protecting the special counsel.
Ryan said he believes such measures are unnecessary because he doesn’t think Trump is considering firing the special counsel.
“I don’t think it’s under consideration because of the kinds of conversations I’ve had with people in the White House,” he said. “I don’t think it’s in the president’s interest to do that.”
Ryan announced Wednesday he will be not seek re-election in November and will retire at the end of his term in January.
