Sarah Sanders refuses to rule out Trump ending Mueller investigation

Trump’s lawyer is already trying to use Rod Rosenstein’s potential ouster as an excuse to stop the Mueller investigation, and now Trump’s chief spokesperson is refusing to rule out whether Trump will end the probe if Rosenstein is fired or resigns.

On Tuesday morning’s edition of “Good Morning America,” host George Stephanopoulos asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders if Trump agrees the Mueller probe should be put on hold if Rosenstein is ousted, as Trump attorney Jay Sekulow suggested on Monday.

Sanders tried to dodge the question by claiming that the investigation should end because “they’ve spent a year and a half digging through and have still come up with nothing.”

Stephanopoulos interrupted Sanders to note “They’ve had several indictments. Several convictions.”

“Nothing that has anything to do with the president, or his campaign,” Sanders falsely claimed, as Stephanopoulos pointed out the numerous convictions and cooperating witnesses the Mueller investigation has racked up.

“Can you assure the American people, whatever happens with Rod Rosenstein, the president will allow the Mueller investigation to continue and to conclude?” Stephanopoulos asked.

Sanders evaded the question by falsely claiming that Trump and his staff “have been completely cooperative from day one.”

“So he will allow it to finish?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“Look, I’m not going to get ahead of where the president is, but he has been very clear that he wants this to come to a conclusion,” Sanders replied.

But Trump hasn’t cooperated with the Russia probe. In fact, he has openly obstructed it on numerous occasions, and has thus far refused to testify under oath for Mueller. And the raft of as indictments, guilty pleas, and cooperating witnesses Stephanopoulos pointed to is inching ever closer to Trump.

On Monday, it was widely reported that Trump was forcing Rosenstein out as deputy attorney general, which is when Sekulow suggested a “time out” and a “review” of the Mueller probe, with the obvious goal of undermining or ending it.

Reports of Rosenstein’s departure turned out to be premature, and he will be having a meeting with Trump on Thursday, where his fate may be decided. But in the wake of those reports, House and Senate Democrats demanded that Congress move to protect Mueller.

Trump and the Republicans have been plotting to fire Rosenstein for months, and Trump has already tried to fire Mueller once. Now, with Rosenstein’s future in grave doubt, the White House is refusing to say it will protect the Mueller probe.

In April, four Republicans joined Democrats in proposing a bill that would have protected Mueller, but Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) quashed it.

Sanders’ comments demonstrate that now, more than ever, Congress needs to act to protect the Russia probe, even if it means defying cowardly Republican leadership.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.