Does he actually have the legal power to fire the special counsel, who is leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and examining possible coordination by Trump's associates?
And now you have a situation where Comey has emerged as Trump's chief accuser-his firing, after all, triggered the appointment of a special counsel-and Mueller will be calling the shots.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of OR asked Sessions about suggestions arising from Comey's testimony last week that there was something "problematic" about his recusal.Wyden asked Sessions what problematic issues existed. Conservative Review contributor Steve Deace labeled calls to fire Mueller the "absolutely dumbest dumbassery" in a series of tweets Monday night.
Ruddy, who had been at the White House Monday, told PBS' Judy Woodruff that "I think he's considering perhaps terminating the special counsel".
But Trump has made no decision to act against Mueller and insists he knows the risks of doing so - but people close to the president say Trump is so volatile they can not be sure that he will not change his mind if he finds out anything to lead him to believe the investigation has been compromised.
"In the White House today, President Trump ignoring the question", reported ABC's Senior White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega.
"Whether he would do it is ultimately a decision the president makes".
The leaders of the Senate Intelligence committee said in a statement issued Wednesday that they "look forward to future engagements" with Robert Mueller. Maybe there are a couple lawyers on this panel or in the public who can help me to understand the most basic question here, which is: if the attorney general had a press conference and said, given all of these challenges, given all of this controversy, I'm out.
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Rosenstein said that because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russian Federation matter, Mueller could only be fired by Rosenstein himself.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence committee, said any move to oust Mueller would "be the last straw" for many in Congress and would have "echoes of Watergate", when President Richard Nixon dismissed special prosecutor Archibald Cox over Cox's subpoenas for White House tapes. Justice Department rules specify that a special counsel can only be removed for "misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause", and that the "specific reason" must be spelled out in writing.
Just weeks ago, Mr Gingrich heaped praise on Mr Mueller, hailing him as a "superb choice" for special counsel whose reputation was "impeccable for honesty and integrity".
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is contradicting fired Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey's testimony about his concerns over a meeting he had with Trump. Gingrich said he is troubled by Democratic donations of Mueller's picks to help lead the probe. Well, we're not briefing the Oval Office about investigations either, so I don't know how they would get there.
All this idea appears to come from Trump close allies, including strategist Steve Bannon, who is anxious and frustrated with the prospect of a long probe. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Later, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked Rosenstein point blank: "If President Trump ordered you to fire the special counsel, what would you do?"
Whether Trump can tolerate a free-ranging investigation, directed by Mueller, that could raise questions about the legitimacy of his Electoral College victory, the topic that most sparks his rage, will be a critical test for a president who has continued on Twitter and elsewhere to flout the advice of his staff, friends, and legal team.
I did not talk to the President about the issue. But Ruddy, a member of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., suggested during his PBS interview that maybe Trump isn't a student of history. Sanders said that while Mr. Trump has the right to fire Mueller, he has no intention of doing so.
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