President Trump said he didn’t fire special counsel Robert Mueller because firings “didn’t work out too well” for former President Richard Nixon.
Trump compared himself with the only president in the nation’s history to resign in a portion of his interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos aired Sunday.
“I wasn’t gonna fire [Mueller], you know why? Because I watched Richard Nixon go around firing everybody, and that didn’t work out too well,” Trump said in the interview.
Trump was likely referring to Nixon’s infamous Saturday Night Massacre, when Nixon ordered his top officials to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox amid the investigation into Watergate. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus both refused Nixon’s order and resigned. Cox was fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork following Nixon’s order. {mosads}
Nixon, facing an impeachment inquiry, ultimately resigned.
“I was never going to fire Mueller. I never suggested firing Mueller,” Trump told ABC News.
As ABC points out, Trump’s claim is refuted by the Mueller report which alleges Trump instructed White House Counsel Don McGahn to have acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein dismiss Mueller.
Trump told ABC News “it doesn’t matter” what McGahn said under oath.
McGahn announced last month he would follow the White House’s urging and defy a House Judiciary Committee subpoena to publicly testify about his alleged conversation with Trump.
Trump added in his ABC News interview that if he were to fire Muller it would be legal under Article II of the Constitution.
“He wasn’t fired. Okay? Number one, very importantly. But more importantly, Article II allows me to do whatever I want. Article II would have allowed me to fire him,” Trump said.
“So your position is that you can hire or fire anybody, stop or start?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“That is the position of a lot of great lawyers,” Trump said. “That’s the position of some of the most talented lawyers. And you have to have a position like that because you’re the president. But without even bringing up Article II, which absolutely gives you every right.”