Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s latest moves signal he knows Donald Trump can’t really fire him
Was Donald Trump ever seriously considering trying to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller in a last ditch effort to derail the Russia and obstruction investigation? Was Trump merely bluffing? Was he trying to create a distraction? Who knows. But here’s what is clear: based on Mueller moves since Trump’s little tantrum, it’s clear that Mueller knows Trump can’t fire him – and those around Mueller know it as well.
In the days since Trump floated his trial balloon about firing Mueller, here’s what the Special Counsel has done: he’s hired top personnel away from the Department of Justice. He’s hired an attorney who’s an expert in money laundering (link). He’s hired another who’s an expert in flipping witnesses (link). He’s even hired an attorney who’s fluent in Russian (link). Not only is Mueller not backing down for fear he might be fired, he’s ramping things up. Perhaps more importantly, all of these people are actually taking the jobs he’s offering them.
Some of the people joining Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel team are giving up long and high ranking careers at the Department of Justice in order to join him. Mueller is only asking them to do because he knows he can’t be fired. And they’re only taking these jobs with him because they also know he can’t be fired. This isn’t the kind of flyer you take on a mere hunch; they all seem to know something that we don’t. The question is what.
Has Robert Mueller privately received assurances from Congressional Republicans that if Donald Trump does try to fire him, they’ll turn around and appoint him Independent Counsel so he can continue with his work? Or does Mueller have some other reason for being so certain he can’t be fired? That’s the part we don’t know yet. But Mueller knows something for sure.
