House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that President Trump should not fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a move Democrats have suspected Trump is looking to make in order to disrupt the ongoing investigation into his alleged ties to Russia.
“I think it is in the president’s interest that he stays where he is and that he continues and does his job,” Ryan, R-Wis., said of Mueller.
Trump has already said publicly he is “disappointed” in Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Democrats believe firing Sessions is a way Trump could then fire Mueller.
But Senate Republicans have been rallying to the defense of Sessions, whose served with them in the upper chamber for two decades, representing Alabama.
Sen. Lindsey Graham declared there would be “holy hell to pay,” if Trump fires Sessions, while Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tweeted late Wednesday that his panel would not take up the nomination of a replacement this year.
Ryan also backed up White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus after incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci late Wednesday and Thursday appeared to accuse Priebus of leaking negative information to the press.
“Reince is doing a fantastic job and I believe he has the president’s full confidence,” Ryan said.
This story was corrected to note that Ryan was referring to Mueller, and not Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
