On June 12, 2017, Newsmax CEO told PBS that he thought President Trump was “considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he’s weighing that option.” On the same day, political analyst April Ryan told CNN there was “mass hysteria” in the White House over the president possibly firing Mueller.
Why is the story back?
Bill Kristol speculates that White House counsel Don McGahn believes Trump may soon try to fire Mueller again: “Unless the story came out now by accident, the sources (McGahn and allies) are probably worried Trump is about to try again to fire Mueller, and wanted to stir up a preemptive push back.”
He adds: “Why would Trump have returned to the idea of firing Mueller now? He may recently have learned how much Mueller now knows. He also soon has to agree to be interviewed or not, may have decided not, and thinks firing might be better than refusing to talk and/or taking the fifth.”