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<h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding:
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letter-spacing: -0.00625em;">Meet The People In Trump's Orbit
Who The Mueller Report Says Ignored His Orders</h1>
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color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski (left), former
deputy national security adviser designate Kathleen
Troia "K.T." McFarland and former White House counsel
Don McGahn were named in Robert Mueller's report as
people who did not carry out President Trump's asks.</p>
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Tasos Katopodis; Chris Kleponis/AFP;
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
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rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Attorney
General William Barr said there would be no obstruction of
justice charges against the president stemming from the report
by special counsel Robert Mueller, which<span> </span><a
href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/708965026/highlights-from-the-mueller-report"
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Thursday</a>.</p>
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class="img" alt="Highlights From The Mueller Report,
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<h3 class="slug" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px
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inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.27273;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a
href="https://www.npr.org/sections/analysis/"
style="box-sizing: border-box;
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letter-spacing: 1px;">ANALYSIS</a></h3>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding:
0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant:
inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit;
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From The Mueller Report, Annotated</a></h3>
</div>
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">But
the threshold for charging the president might have been
breached, had staffers not resisted his directives to engage in
actions that would have impeded the investigation.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">The<span> </span><a
href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/708850903/read-the-full-mueller-report-with-redactions"
style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-tap-highlight-color:
transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font:
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text-decoration: none;">more-than-400-page report</a><span> </span>names<strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;"><span> </span></strong>10 onetime close aides or
other government officials who refused to carry out requests
Trump made that may have violated the law.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">"The
President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly
unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who
surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede
to his requests," Mueller wrote on Page 158 of the report.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Some
of the resistance came from people Trump loathed, such as FBI
Director James Comey, whom the president would controversially
fire (thus launching Mueller's investigation in the first
place). But other close members of his team also rebuffed the
president, including his former chief of staff, campaign manager
and White House counsel.</p>
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Redactions" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;
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inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: 1.27273;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a
href="https://www.npr.org/sections/politics/"
style="box-sizing: border-box;
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sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(99, 99,
99); text-decoration: none; -webkit-font-smoothing:
subpixel-antialiased; text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;">POLITICS</a></h3>
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0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant:
inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit;
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-font-smoothing:
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padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height: inherit;
font-family: "Gotham SSm", Helvetica, Arial,
sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(80,
118, 184); text-decoration: none;
-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased;">READ: The
Mueller Report, With Redactions</a></h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Here
is a list of those who acted as essentially legal guardrails for
the president and may have also kept themselves out of legal
peril.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">White House counsel Don McGahn</strong></p>
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
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font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height:
20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
White House counsel Don McGahn, who resisted efforts to
fire special counsel Robert Mueller.</p>
</div>
</div>
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0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.7; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Melina Mara/AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Trump
tried to stop the special counsel's investigation before it
began in earnest. On Page 4 of Mueller's report, he writes that
the president tried to get White House counsel Don McGahn to
pressure Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to relieve
Mueller of his duties:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">"On June 17, 2017, the President called
McGahn at home and directed him to call the Acting Attorney
General and say that the Special Counsel had conflicts of
interest and must be removed. McGahn did not carry out the
direction, however, deciding that he would resign rather
than trigger what he regarded as a potential Saturday Night
Massacre."</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">McGahn
feared a comparison to President Richard Nixon's purging of
legal officials from the Justice Department during the Watergate
scandal.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">When
the episode was later reported in the press, the president
pressured McGahn to deny the reports. "McGahn refused to back
away from what he remembered happening and perceived the
President to be testing his mettle," the report says.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">McGahn
left the White House in October 2018.</p>
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions resisted Trump's efforts
to get him to unrecuse himself from supervising the
Mueller investigation.</p>
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rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions</strong></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Sessions
had<span> </span><a
href="https://www.npr.org/2017/03/02/518198749/attorney-general-sessions-to-recuse-himself-from-any-trump-campaign-investigatio"
style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-tap-highlight-color:
transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font:
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text-decoration: none;">decided in March 2017 to recuse
himself</a><span> </span>from any investigations into ties
between Trump's campaign and Russia because of meetings he had
with the Russian ambassador in 2016.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Trump
pressured Sessions to rethink his recusal from the Russia
investigation as another one way to gain control over the
Mueller probe. On Page 5, Mueller writes:</p>
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font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a
href="https://www.npr.org/sections/national-security/"
style="box-sizing: border-box;
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padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
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font-family: "Knockout 31 4r",
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sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(99, 99,
99); text-decoration: none; -webkit-font-smoothing:
subpixel-antialiased; text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;">NATIONAL SECURITY</a></h3>
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0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant:
inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit;
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Much Of The Mueller Report Is Redacted</a></h3>
</div>
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</div>
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border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">In early summer 2017, the President called
Sessions at home and again asked him to reverse his recusal
from the Russia investigation. Sessions did not reverse his
recusal. In October 2017, the President met privately with
Sessions in the Oval Office and asked him to "take [a] look"
at investigating Clinton. In December 2017, shortly after
Flynn pleaded guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement,
the President met with Sessions in the Oval Office and
suggested, according to notes taken by a senior advisor,
that if Sessions unrecused and took back supervision of the
Russia investigation, he would be a "hero." The President
told Sessions, "I'm not going to do anything or direct you
to do anything. I just want to be treated fairly." In
response, Sessions volunteered that he had never seen
anything "improper" on the campaign and told the President
there was a "whole new leadership team" in place. He did not
unrecuse.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Sessions'
decision to recuse himself was seen as the ultimate betrayal by
Trump. Although Sessions was the first sitting senator to
endorse Trump, the relationship between the two soured as Trump
repeatedly bashed and criticized him in public and on social
media.<span> </span><a
href="https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/539109386/jeff-sessions-out-as-attorney-general-after-steady-drumbeat-of-criticism-from-tr"
style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-tap-highlight-color:
transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(80, 118, 184);
text-decoration: none;">Sessions was finally forced</a><span> </span>out
the day after the November 2018 midterms, when Republicans lost
control of the House of Representatives.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and
senior White House official Rick Dearborn</strong></p>
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style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 40px 15px;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
padding: 12px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;
font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height:
20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski tried to get
someone else to fire Jeff Sessions.</p>
</div>
</div>
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0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.7; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Olivier Douliery /AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">When
both McGahn and Sessions wouldn't follow directives to fire or
limit Mueller's powers, Trump turned to a loyalist who didn't
work in the White House, his former campaign manager Corey
Lewandowski. According to the report, Trump pressured
Lewandowski to ask Sessions to give a speech to walk back his
recusal.</p>
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id="featuredStackSquareImage709051040"
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class="img" alt="Mueller Report: Trump Tried To Stop
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letter-spacing: 1px;">NATIONAL SECURITY</a></h3>
<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding:
0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant:
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data-metrics="{"category":"Story to
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style="box-sizing: border-box;
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padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
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sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(80,
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-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased;">Mueller
Report: Trump Tried To Stop Investigation Fearing His
Presidency Was Over</a></h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Mueller
later writes that Trump again pressured Lewandowski a month
later when the message had still not been transmitted to
Sessions:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: initial;
border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;
border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">One month later, in another private
meeting with Lewandowski on July 19, 2017, the President
asked about the status of his message for Sessions to limit
the Special Counsel investigation to future election
interference. Lewandowski told the President that the
message would be delivered soon. Hours after that meeting,
the President publicly criticized Sessions in an interview
with the New York Times, and then issued a series of tweets
making it clear that Sessions's job was in jeopardy.<em
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size:
inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline;"></em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Despite
his apparent promise to the president, Lewandowski dragged his
feet. Instead, he "asked senior White House official Rick
Dearborn to deliver it to Sessions" because he "believed
Dearborn would be a better messenger because he had a
longstanding relationship with Sessions." But "Dearborn was
uncomfortable with the task and did not follow through."</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus</strong></p>
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vertical-align: baseline;">
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
padding: 12px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;
font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height:
20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Then-White
House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in 2017. Priebus
also resisted orders to fire Jeff Sessions.</p>
</div>
</div>
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0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.7; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Aude Guerrucci/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Trump
continued to fume over Sessions' continued role as attorney
general and hoped to find yet another way to remove him in order
to curb Mueller's investigation. In July 2017, Trump "told
Priebus that he had to get Sessions to resign immediately"
because "the country had lost confidence in Sessions and the
negative publicity was not tolerable."</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">"Priebus
replied that if they fired Sessions, they would never get a new
Attorney General confirmed and that the Department of Justice
and Congress would turn their backs on the President," Mueller
writes, but Trump suggested a recess appointment instead.
However, Priebus still saw Trump's request was problematic, and
called McGahn to help stop it. Priebus and McGahn discussed both
resigning to stop Trump from firing Sessions. Still, Trump
continued to push his then-chief of staff about the directive:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: initial;
border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;
border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">Even though Priebus did not intend to
carry out the President's directive, he told the President
he would get Sessions to resign. Later in the day, Priebus
called the President and explained that it would be a
calamity if Sessions resigned because Priebus expected that
Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand would
also resign and the President would be unable to get anyone
else confirmed. The President agreed to hold off on
demanding Sessions's resignation until after the Sunday
shows the next day, to prevent the shows from focusing on
the firing. By the end of that weekend, Priebus recalled
that the President relented and agreed not to ask Sessions
to resign.<em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;
padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Staff Secretary Rob Porter</strong></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Before
Trump had pressured Priebus to fire Sessions, Trump considered
defanging the Mueller investigation by having Associate Attorney
General Rachel Brand take it over. He reached out to Rob Porter
about Brand's loyalties because he knew her, and "asked him to
sound her out about taking responsibility for the investigation
and being Attorney General." Trump would bring it up to Porter a
few more times, but Porter was unwilling to do so:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: initial;
border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;
border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">Later, the President asked Porter a few
times in passing whether he had spoken to Brand, but Porter
did not reach out to her because he was uncomfortable with
the task. In asking him to reach out to Brand, Porter
understood the President to want to find someone to end the
Russia investigation or fire the Special Counsel, although
the President never said so explicitly. Porter did not
contact Brand because he was sensitive to the implications
of that action and did not want to be involved in a chain of
events associated with an effort to end the investigation or
fire the Special Counsel.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Porter
would<span> </span><a
href="https://www.npr.org/2018/02/14/585617976/4-big-questions-raised-by-the-latest-white-house-scandal"
style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-tap-highlight-color:
transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font:
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text-decoration: none;">later resign in February 2018 amid
allegations over domestic abuse</a>, which he denied.</p>
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letter-spacing: 1px;">ANALYSIS</a></h3>
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-webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased;">Will
Democrats 'Follow The Mueller Report To Where It Leads'?</a></h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
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inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">FBI Director James Comey</strong></p>
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
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20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
FBI Director James Comey resisted Trump's efforts to
shut down the investigation into former national
security adviser Michael Flynn.</p>
</div>
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<span class="credit" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
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rgb(118, 118, 118);">Carsten Koall/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">It
was Comey's firing by Trump that triggered Mueller's
appointment. Comey alleged that Trump had asked the FBI director
to go easy on an investigation into his former national security
adviser, Michael Flynn, over misleading the FBI and Vice
President Pence about his contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey
Kislyak. Trump denied asking Comey about the Flynn matter, but
Mueller finds that "substantial evidence corroborates Comey's
account."</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">When the President met with Comey the day
after Flynn's termination — shortly after being told by [New
Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie that firing Flynn would not end
the Russia investigation — the President cleared the room,
even excluding the Attorney General, so that he could again
speak to Comey alone. The President's decision to meet
one-on-one with Comey contravened the advice of the White
House Counsel that the President should not communicate
directly with the Department of Justice to avoid any
appearance of interfering in law enforcement activities. And
the President later denied that he cleared the room and
asked Comey to "let Flynn go" — a denial that would have
been unnecessary if he believed his request was a proper
exercise of prosecutorial discretion.<em style="box-sizing:
border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;
font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight:
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</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">One
reason Trump was sensitive about any investigation into Russian
influence is that he thought, Mueller says, any suggestion
Russia had intervened in the 2016 election on his behalf would
undermine the legitimacy of his presidency.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland</strong></p>
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20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
deputy national security adviser KT McFarland.</p>
</div>
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</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">McFarland
was Flynn's deputy for the brief time he was national security
adviser. Trump asked Priebus to have McFarland "draft an
internal email that would confirm that the President did not
direct Flynn to call the Russian Ambassador about sanctions.
Priebus said he told the President he would only direct
McFarland to write such a letter if she were comfortable with
it."</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">But
McFarland didn't know if that were the case, and she worried it
would look like a quid pro quo in order for an ambassadorship to
Singapore she was being considered for. Mueller goes on to
write:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: initial;
border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;
border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">The evidence does not establish that the
President was trying to have McFarland lie. The President's
request, however, was sufficiently irregular that McFarland
— who did not know the full extent of Flynn's communications
with the President and thus could not make the
representation the President wanted — felt the need to draft
an internal memorandum documenting the President's request
...</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
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inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein</strong></p>
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margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px; padding: 0px; border-top: none; border-right: 0px;
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initial; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
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font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height:
20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Deputy
Attorney General Rod Rosenstein resisted multiple
efforts to curb the Mueller investigation.</p>
</div>
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0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
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inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">When
Trump was trying to make a case for firing Comey, he turned to
Sessions and Rosenstein for their recommendations. Rosenstein
expressed concern over Comey's handling of the investigation
into Hillary Clinton's email server at the State Department, but
Trump told him:</p>
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position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">... to include in his recommendation the
fact that Comey had refused to confirm that the President
was not personally under investigation. According to notes
taken by a senior DOJ official of Rosenstein's description
of his meeting with the President, the President said, 'Put
the Russia stuff in the memo.' Rosenstein responded that the
Russia investigation was not the basis of his
recommendation, so he did not think Russia should be
mentioned. The President told Rosenstein he would appreciate
it if Rosenstein put it in his letter anyway. When
Rosenstein left the meeting, he knew that Comey would be
terminated, and he told DOJ colleagues that his own reasons
for replacing Comey were 'not [the President's] reasons.'</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">When
press coverage turned against Trump following Comey's firing,
the White House called the Department of Justice and said they:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
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font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">... wanted to put out a statement saying
that it was Rosenstein's idea to fire Comey. Rosenstein told
other DOJ officials that he would not participate in putting
out a 'false story.' The President then called Rosenstein
directly and said he was watching Fox News, that the
coverage had been great, and that he wanted Rosenstein to do
a press conference. Rosenstein responded that this was not a
good idea because if the press asked him, he would tell the
truth that Comey's firing was not his idea. Sessions also
informed the White House Counsel's Office that evening that
Rosenstein was upset that his memorandum was being portrayed
as the reason for Comey's termination.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;"><strong
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit;
font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit;
line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align:
baseline;">Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe</strong></p>
<div id="res715002719" class="bucketwrap image medium"
style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 40px 15px;
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2px;
padding: 12px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;
font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; line-height:
20px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;
color: rgb(118, 118, 118); max-width: 55.7em;">Former
Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.</p>
</div>
</div>
<span class="credit" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.7; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color:
rgb(118, 118, 118);">Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images</span></div>
</div>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Trump
summoned McCabe to the White House in the wake of Comey's
firing, and:</p>
<blockquote class="edTag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin:
0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font: inherit;
vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; max-width: 680px;
position: relative; float: none; width: auto;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;
border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial;
border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial;
border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: initial;
border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial;
border-left-color: rgb(224, 224, 224); border-image: initial;
font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px
0px 0px 30px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; line-height: 1.57143;
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(68, 68, 68);">... asked McCabe whether many people in
the FBI disliked Comey and whether McCabe was part of the
'resistance' that had disagreed with Comey's decisions in
the Clinton investigation. McCabe told the President that he
knew Comey had told the President he was not under
investigation, that most people in the FBI felt positively
about Comey, and that McCabe worked 'very closely' with
Comey and was part of all the decisions that had been made
in the Clinton investigation.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Trump
met with McCabe again later, and Trump "without prompting, told
McCabe that people in the FBI loved the President, estimated
that at least 80% of the FBI had voted for him, and asked McCabe
who he had voted for in the 2016 presidential election."</p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.17647em;
padding: 0px 15px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit;
font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch:
inherit; font-size: 1.7rem; line-height: 1.70588; font-family:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 680px; color:
rgb(51, 51, 51); position: static; float: none; width: auto;">Ultimately,
Trump chose McCabe as the temporary acting FBI director but was
suspicious of him because his wife had run for the Virginia
state legislature as a Democrat. McCabe would<span> </span><a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mccabe-says-he-quickly-opened-fbi-investigation-of-trump-for-fear-of-being-fired/2019/02/14/262dd7b0-3054-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.db2200b34651"
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transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font:
inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(80, 118, 184);
text-decoration: none;">later tell CBS News</a><span> </span>that
he authorized an investigation into Trump's ties to Russia
because he feared that if he were "removed quickly or reassigned
or fired, that the case could not be closed or vanish in the
night without a trace." Trump fired McCabe from the FBI just 26
hours before his retirement was set to take effect, denying him
his full pension.</p>
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