Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller without imperiling his administration.
Mueller was appointed to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election following Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Continetti argued that Comey’s ouster did not help Trump’s situation because it led to Mueller’s probe, and to fire Mueller would only create more problems.
"It's important to ask how President Trump found himself in this situation to begin with, and that was by firing James Comey," Continetti said. "After Comey's firing, Comey leaked the memos, which then led to the appointment of the special prosecutor. So now, if President Trump thinks can he fix this situation by firing the special prosecutor, it doesn't make much sense. The first firing led to only more problems for him."
NPR’s Mara Liasson spoke to the politics of the situation, arguing that Trump would help Democrats by firing Mueller, who would have momentum in the 2018 midterm elections.
"If he fired [Mueller] now, it would help Democrats, I think, in the election," Liasson said. "And if Democrats took over, they would—even if Mueller was fired, they would probably have him up testifying seven days a week."
Continetti then argued that Trump’s disruptive tactics have forced everyone in Washington to react, with the exception of Mueller.
"Donald Trump has been a disrupter to Washington. He has everybody reacting to his actions, with one exception: Robert Mueller," Continetti said. "He's the other disrupter, and the two of them now in combat could lead to a very combustible situation."
Trump was asked yesterday whether he would fire Mueller and he did not rule it out, saying Mueller's probe is a "disgrace."