Giuliani Reveals Why Trump Hasn't Fired Mueller
- 6 years ago
Rudy Giuliani on Sunday was asked about the possibility of President Trump firing Robert Mueller.
President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani has revealed why Trump has not fired special counsel Robert Mueller, telling CNN: "Because if he did it, everybody would say that he was guilty and that's why he fired him."
Though Trump has continued to blast the probe related to Russia as a "witch hunt," Giuliani's comment reflects the administration's controversial position that the president does, in fact, have the authority to fire Mueller.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in April about Mueller's potential ouster: "We've been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision."
Her response then prompted a legal debate because Mueller has worked under the purview of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, suggesting that only Rosenstein has the authority to fire him.
However, scholars including Harvard Law School professor Jack L. Goldsmith told the New York Times that Trump could make an argument about firing Mueller himself, particularly since the exact situation has not been tested in court.
Meanwhile, other observers have pointed out that getting rid of Mueller would not necessarily mean an end to the probe which could continue through other officials in the Justice Department, the FBI, or even in individual states.
Giuliani's remark on CNN comes just days after he indicated to the Times that, to earn an interview with the president, Mueller will have to prove "he has evidence that Mr. Trump committed a crime and that his testimony is essential to completing the investigation."
President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani has revealed why Trump has not fired special counsel Robert Mueller, telling CNN: "Because if he did it, everybody would say that he was guilty and that's why he fired him."
Though Trump has continued to blast the probe related to Russia as a "witch hunt," Giuliani's comment reflects the administration's controversial position that the president does, in fact, have the authority to fire Mueller.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in April about Mueller's potential ouster: "We've been advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision."
Her response then prompted a legal debate because Mueller has worked under the purview of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, suggesting that only Rosenstein has the authority to fire him.
However, scholars including Harvard Law School professor Jack L. Goldsmith told the New York Times that Trump could make an argument about firing Mueller himself, particularly since the exact situation has not been tested in court.
Meanwhile, other observers have pointed out that getting rid of Mueller would not necessarily mean an end to the probe which could continue through other officials in the Justice Department, the FBI, or even in individual states.
Giuliani's remark on CNN comes just days after he indicated to the Times that, to earn an interview with the president, Mueller will have to prove "he has evidence that Mr. Trump committed a crime and that his testimony is essential to completing the investigation."