Trump assails Mueller, Republicans defend investigation

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump lashed out against special counsel Robert Mueller on Sunday, drawing rebukes from several Republicans. The president has maintained his innocence since the beginning of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He has called the probe a witch hunt against his administration, but until this weekend, he never attacked Mueller directly. “Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans?” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Another Dem recently added … does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!” Trump’s comments provoked Republicans to rush to Mueller’s defense, fearing the president might try to fire the special counsel. “If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, because we’re a rule-of-law nation,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told CNN Sunday. “When it comes to Mr. Mueller, he is following the evidence where it takes him, and I think it’s very important he be allowed to do his job without interference, and there are many Republicans who share my view.” Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, one of Trump’s biggest critics within the GOP, tweeted on Sunday that Republicans need to protect Mueller as investigators finish their review. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who serves on the House Intelligence Committee that concluded last week the Trump campaign never colluded with Russia, told Fox News Sunday if the president is innocent he needs to “act like it.”