President Donald Trump's lead lawyer in the special counsel's Russia investigation resigned Thursday, shaking up the legal team just as the president intensifies his attacks on a probe he calls nothing more than a witch hunt.

Associated Press Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker said the resignation might have something to do with clashes between John Dowd and Trump in the Mueller investigation.

"Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive," Tucker said, "So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

The departure of attorney John Dowd removes the primary negotiator and legal strategist who had been molding Trump's defense. It also comes just days after the Trump legal team added a new lawyer, former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, who has alleged on television that FBI officials were involved in a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in the email investigation and to "frame" Trump for nonexistent crimes.

Dowd confirmed his decision in an email to The Associated Press, saying, "I love the President and wish him well." Dowd said he made the decision voluntarily and he denied reports that his departure had to do with Trump ignoring his legal advice. He said he formally resigned Thursday morning.

It already was a delicate time in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as Trump's attorneys, including Dowd, have been negotiating with Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview of the president. Trump has told reporters that he was eager to speak with Mueller, but Dowd has been far more apprehensive, and the lawyers have not publicly committed to making Trump available for questioning.

Asked Thursday whether he still wants to speak with Mueller's team, Trump told reporters, "Yes, I would like to."

Dowd's exit nearly a year into Mueller's investigation threatens to undo the cooperation between prosecutors and Trump's lawyers and may herald a stark shift in strategy as the probe reaches closer into the White House and the president's inner circle.

Over the weekend, Dowd issued a statement calling for an end to special counsel's investigation. The White House and later Dowd had to clarify the statement, saying the president's legal team wasn't calling for Mueller to be fired.

But Trump has upped his public attacks on Mueller.

In a series of tweets since last week, the president has said that the probe never should have started, that it was based on "fraudulent activities," that it was a "WITCH HUNT" and that it is being led by "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 10 May 2011

1. STILL Attorney John Dowd leaves building with his client co-founder of Galleon hedge fund group Raj Rajaratnam

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 29 April 2011

2. STILL Dowd and Rajaratnam entering federal court

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So John Dowd is the lead defense lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. And we learned today that he has resigned effective immediately from that team, so he's no longer going to be representing the president."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 23 May 2007

4. STILL Various Dowd with client White House liaison Monica Goodling

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So this is really significant because we are now 10 months into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. There have been a lot of negotiations back and forth led by John Dowd as to whether or not the president will sit down for interview with Mueller and his team. And so now it's unclear what the next step is going to be, because basically the point person and lead negotiator and point of contact for Mueller's team is no longer calling the shots."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

6. SCREENGRAB of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

7. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 17 March 2018

8. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"Last weekend we noticed a real notable shift in the way the president and his legal team has been talking about Special Counsel Robert Mueller. So in the past there's been lots of public overtures and gestures of cooperation. They've spoken warmly about the special counsel in his work. And this time, for the first time, this weekend for the first time we saw John Dowd basically call on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to shut down the investigation. He had initially said he was speaking for the president, he later said he was not. And the White House on Sunday had to clarify that there were no plans to try to terminate the investigation."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

10. Donald Trump walks into White House Treaty Room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So I think there's been a degree of consternation back and forth within the legal community over certain decisions and actions from Dowd and the legal team. There's been obviously a divide as to whether or not the president is gonna speak with Mueller. So you'll remember that in January, Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive, and his lawyers, Trump's lawyers have not publicly committed in any way to any sort of interview. They say those are ongoing negotiations. So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

12. President Donald Trump walks out of Treaty Room as reporters shout questions

13. UPSOUND: Reporter:

"Mr. President, would you still like to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, sir?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Yes, I would like to..."

15. Trump walks out of room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"One other thing that I would note is that the Trump legal team has been looking to try to add to its ranks. So they have reached out to a very prominent Washington lawyer, a litigator by the name of Ted Olson who argued the Bush v. Gore case 2000 before the U.S. Supreme Court. And he's argued the California gay rights case, same sex marriage case. He turned them down. And so I would not be surprised if there is another attorney who they try to reach out to."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 28 September 2017

17. STILL Various Former United States Solicitor General Ted Olson at the installation ceremony for FBI director Chris Wray

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 20 June 2013

18. STILL Olson with plaintiffs in the California Proposition 8 case

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"They did hire on Monday a former United States attorney named Joe diGenova who's going to be working on the Trump legal team. And one thing that diGenova is notable for is an interview with Fox News from January in which he basically said the FBI officials were part of a brazen plot to exonerate Hillary Clinton and frame Donald Trump for a fictional, nonexistent crime. So that gives you a flavor of where the defense legal strategy might be going."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

20. Various Trump speaking in the House Treaty Room about imposing tariffs on Chinese imports

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus117825

President Donald Trump blasted special counsel Robert Mueller on Thursday, saying he's a "never Trumper" who led a biased investigation on Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn as he left for Colorado, Trump also said that he's been tough on Russia and that Moscow would have preferred Hillary Clinton as president.

The special counsel's report said Russian interference in the election helped Trump defeat Clinton.

Trump harshly criticized Mueller a day after Mueller pointedly rebutted Trump's repeated claims that he was cleared and that the two-year inquiry was merely a "witch hunt."

The president also uttered mixed messages, sending a morning tweet saying he had "nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected," then minutes later, told reporters: "Russia did not help me get elected."

Trump said Mueller, who is a Republican, was "conflicted" and should have investigated law enforcement officials who the president claims tried to undermine his presidency.

Trump also called impeachment a "dirty word" and said he couldn't imagine the courts allowing him to be impeached. "I don't think so because there's no crime," he said.

Washington - 30 May 2019

1. Mid, US President Donald Trump walking out of the residence toward reporters

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Well I think it was the same as the report. There wasn't much change. It was to me, the same as the report. And there's no obstruction, you see what we're saying. There's no obstruction, there's no collusion, there's no nothing. It's nothing but a witch hunt. A witch hunt by the media and the Democrats, they're partners and it keeps going. I thought it was finished when the report was released but it goes on. And to me it was the same frankly as the report and he said basically it was the same as the report. "

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"I think he is a total conflicted person. I think Muller is a true never Trumper. He's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump. He's somebody that didn't get a job that he requested that he wanted very badly. And then he was appointed and despite that and despite 40 million dollars, 18 Trump haters, including people that worked for Hillary Clinton and some of the worst human beings on earth, they got nothing. It's pretty amazing."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

(Reporter: Do you believe that Russia helped you get elected?)

"No Russia did not help me get elected.  You know who got me elected, you know who got me elected? I got me elected.  Russia didn't help me at all. Russia, If anything I think helped the other side. What you ought to ask is this. Do you think the media helped Hillary Clinton get elected? She didn't make it. But you take a look at collusion between Hillary Clinton and the media, you take a look at collusion between Hillary Clinton and Russia. She had more to do in the campaign with Russia than I did. I had nothing to do. And by the way, that's one other thing. If you look this was all about Russia, Russia, Russia. They don't talk about Russia anymore because it turned out to be a hoax. It was all a hoax and then they say gee he fought back. Isn't that terrible. He fought back. Of course I fight back because it was a false accusation, a totally false accusation and it's a disgrace and it's a very ... it's a very sad period for this country and I think in the end I will consider what's happening now to be one of my greatest achievements, exposing this corruption."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"(Reporter: Do you think they are going to impeach you?)

I don't see how.  They can because they're possibly allowed although I can't imagine the courts allowing it. I've never gone into it. I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me it's a dirty word. The word impeach it's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word and it had nothing to do with me. So I don't think so because there was no crime. You know it's high crimes and not with or it's high crimes and misdemeanors. There was no high crime and there was no misdemeanor. So how do you impeach based on that?  And it came out that there was nothing to do with Russia. The whole thing is a scam. It's one of it's a giant presidential harassment and honestly. I hope it goes down as one of my greatest achievements. Because I've exposed corruption, I've exposed corruption like nobody knew existed."

President Donald Trump says he discussed special counsel Robert Mueller's report with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an extended phone call on Friday.

Trump says Putin described the investigation as "something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse."

Trump says Putin "knew there was no collusion whatsoever."

Trump was also asked if he warned Putin not to meddle in the 2020 elections, saying "we didn't discuss that."

Trump deferred to Attorney General William Barr on the question of whether Mueller should testify before Congress, saying "I don't know. That's up to the attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job."

Trump says the conservation with Putin focused on curbing nuclear weapons, Venezuela, North Korea and trade.

Trump's comments came during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini of the Slovak Republic.

Washington - 3 May 2019

1. Wide, Oval Office meeting of President Donald Trump with Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini  

2. Pan from reporters to both men shake hands

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"I had a very good talk with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin probably over an hour and we talked about many things Venezuela was one of the topics and he is not looking at it all to get involved in Venezuela, other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way. We want to get some humanitarian aid. Right now people are starving. They have no water, they have no food. This is, Mr. Prime Minister, one of the richest countries in the world 20 years ago and now they don't have food and they don't have water for their people. So we want to help on a humanitarian basis. And I thought it was a very positive conversation I had with President Putin on Venezuela."

4. Cutaway two leaders

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"We're talking about a nuclear agreement, where we make less and they make less and maybe even when we get rid of some of the tremendous firepower that we have right now.  We're spending billions of dollars on nuclear weapons. Numbers like we've never spent before. We need that, but they are also ... and China is frankly also we discussed the possibility of a three way deal instead of a two way deal. And China, I've already spoken to them, they very much would like to be a part of that deal. And in fact during the trade talks we started talking about that.  They were excited about that maybe even more excited than about trade. But they felt very strongly about it. So, I think we're going to probably start up something very shortly between Russia and ourselves, maybe just start off, and I think China will be added down the road. We'll be talking about nonproliferation. We'll be talking about a nuclear deal of some kind and I think it'll be a very comprehensive one."

6. Mid leaders

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"Reporter: Did you discuss the meddling issues that came up in the Muller report with Mr. Putin today?

We discussed it. He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse, but he knew that because he knew there was no collusion whatsoever. So, pretty much that's what it was.

Reporter: Did you tell him not to meddle in the next election? Excuse me. I'm talking, I'm answering this question. You are very rude. So we had a good conversation about many different things.

Reporter: Did you tell them not to meddle in the next election?

We didn't discuss that.  Really we did not discuss that.  We discussed five or six things.  We also we went into great detail on various things especially, I would say, the nuclear especially maybe Venezuela.  We talked about North Korea at great length and pretty much that's it. We also discussed trade. We intend to do a lot of trade with Russia. We do some right now. It's up a little bit but he'd like to do trade and we'd like to do trade."

8. Wide, leaders

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"Reporter: Mr. President should Mueller testify?

I don't know. That's up to our attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job. "

10. Cutaway photographers

11. Wide, meeting

President Donald Trump says he discussed special counsel Robert Mueller's report with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an extended phone call on Friday.

Trump says Putin described the investigation as "something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse."

Trump says Putin "knew there was no collusion whatsoever."

Trump was also asked if he warned Putin not to meddle in the 2020 elections, saying "we didn't discuss that."

Trump deferred to Attorney General William Barr on the question of whether Mueller should testify before Congress, saying "I don't know. That's up to the attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job."

Trump says the conservation with Putin focused on curbing nuclear weapons, Venezuela, North Korea and trade.

Trump's comments came during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini of the Slovak Republic.

Washington - 3 May 2019

1. Wide, Oval Office meeting of President Donald Trump with Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini  

2. Pan from reporters to both men shake hands

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"I had a very good talk with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin probably over an hour and we talked about many things Venezuela was one of the topics and he is not looking at it all to get involved in Venezuela, other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way. We want to get some humanitarian aid. Right now people are starving. They have no water, they have no food. This is, Mr. Prime Minister, one of the richest countries in the world 20 years ago and now they don't have food and they don't have water for their people. So we want to help on a humanitarian basis. And I thought it was a very positive conversation I had with President Putin on Venezuela."

4. Cutaway two leaders

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"We're talking about a nuclear agreement, where we make less and they make less and maybe even when we get rid of some of the tremendous firepower that we have right now.  We're spending billions of dollars on nuclear weapons. Numbers like we've never spent before. We need that, but they are also ... and China is frankly also we discussed the possibility of a three way deal instead of a two way deal. And China, I've already spoken to them, they very much would like to be a part of that deal. And in fact during the trade talks we started talking about that.  They were excited about that maybe even more excited than about trade. But they felt very strongly about it. So, I think we're going to probably start up something very shortly between Russia and ourselves, maybe just start off, and I think China will be added down the road. We'll be talking about nonproliferation. We'll be talking about a nuclear deal of some kind and I think it'll be a very comprehensive one."

6. Mid leaders

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"Reporter: Did you discuss the meddling issues that came up in the Muller report with Mr. Putin today?

We discussed it. He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse, but he knew that because he knew there was no collusion whatsoever. So, pretty much that's what it was.

Reporter: Did you tell him not to meddle in the next election? Excuse me. I'm talking, I'm answering this question. You are very rude. So we had a good conversation about many different things.

Reporter: Did you tell them not to meddle in the next election?

We didn't discuss that.  Really we did not discuss that.  We discussed five or six things.  We also we went into great detail on various things especially, I would say, the nuclear especially maybe Venezuela.  We talked about North Korea at great length and pretty much that's it. We also discussed trade. We intend to do a lot of trade with Russia. We do some right now. It's up a little bit but he'd like to do trade and we'd like to do trade."

8. Wide, leaders

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

"Reporter: Mr. President should Mueller testify?

I don't know. That's up to our attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job. "

10. Cutaway photographers

11. Wide, meeting

President Donald Trump says he discussed special counsel Robert Mueller's report with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an extended phone call on Friday.

Trump says Putin described the investigation as "something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse."

Trump says Putin "knew there was no collusion whatsoever."

Trump was also asked if he warned Putin not to meddle in the 2020 elections, saying "we didn't discuss that."

Trump deferred to Attorney General William Barr on the question of whether Mueller should testify before Congress, saying "I don't know. That's up to the attorney general, who I think has done a fantastic job."

Trump says the conservation with Putin focused on curbing nuclear weapons, Venezuela, North Korea and trade.

Trump's comments came during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini of the Slovak Republic.

Washington - 3 May 2019

1. Pan, Oval Office meeting of President Donald Trump shaking hands Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump. U.S. President:

Reporter: Did you discuss the meddling issues that came up in the Muller report with Mr. Putin today?

We discussed it. He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and it ended up being a mouse, but he knew that because he knew there was no collusion whatsoever. So, pretty much that's what it was.

Reporter: Did you tell him not to meddle in the next election? Excuse me. I'm talking, I'm answering this question. You are very rude. So we had a good conversation about many different things."

Reporter: Did you tell them not to meddle in the next election?

We didn't discuss that. Really we did not discuss that. We discussed five or six things. We also we went into great detail on various things especially, I would say, the nuclear especially maybe Venezuela. We talked about North Korea at great length and pretty much that's it. We also discussed trade. We intend to do a lot of trade with Russia. We do some right now. It's up a little bit but he'd like to do trade and we'd like to do trade."

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller has done.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion," Nadler said.

"Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented a special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump," he added.

"We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fuelling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump.

Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

And he made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium  ++SHOT CONTINUES INTO NEXT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special Counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which Special Counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

++EDIT ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday boasted that US President Donald Trump's tough line had forced the North Korean leader to beg to re-schedule a high-profile summit after the president abruptly called off the meeting.

After the cancellation, "Kim Jong Un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in," Giuliani told a business conference in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

In an interview later with The Associated Press, Giuliani rejected suggestions that such comments might sour the atmosphere ahead of next week's summit in Singapore, saying that the North Korean leader must understand that the United States is in a position of strength.

"It is pointing out that the president is the stronger figure," Giuliani told the AP. "And you're not going to have useful negotiations unless he accepts that."

Giuliani said Trump had no choice but to call off the meeting after the North Koreans insulted Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Adviser John Bolton and threatened "nuclear annihilation" of the U.S.

"President Trump didn't take that. What he did was he called off the summit," he said.

Giuliani said Kim quickly changed his position, expressed willingness to discuss denuclearization and asked to have the meeting again.

"That's what I mean by begging for it," Giuliani said.

The summit is back on in Singapore next Tuesday.

Giuliani, Trump's lawyer in the Russian investigation, noted that he was sharing a personal opinion and was not part of the U.S. foreign policy team.

The former New York mayor is in Israel for a number of appearances, including a speech to a Tel Aviv business conference earlier in the day and an address late on Wednesday to OneFamily, a group that supports Israeli families whose loved ones have been wounded or killed in Palestinian attacks.

Giuliani is leading the defence of Trump in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, and whether Trump took steps to shut down that investigation through actions, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Trump's team and allies have waged a public relations campaign against Mueller and the Justice Department to discredit the investigation and soften the impact of the special counsel's potential findings. In the latest salvo, Giuliani accused Mueller of trying to "frame" the president.

Giuliani claimed that Mueller has produced no evidence of wrongdoing by the president, and has stacked his team with partisan Democrats, including supporters of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Though Trump insists he did nothing wrong, the statements from him and his lawyers have made clear that much of their defence revolves around establishing that he was constitutionally empowered to take the actions he took.

Giuliani rejected criticism that the defence team is attacking the justice system or public institutions.

"We're trying to purify institutions," he added, accusing the media of trying to convict Trump and saying the prosecutors are "not saints" immune from attack.

Nonetheless, Giuliani said he remains in touch with Mueller, and that there have been discussions about allowing investigators to question the president. But he said his client needs assurances he won't be railroaded.

He said so far, Mueller has not produced evidence indicating wrongdoing by the president

Jerusalem - 6 June 2018

1. Set-up shot of US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

“What I’m saying is that (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un had someone say terrible things about (US) Vice President (Mike) Pence. Terrible things about (National Security Advisor) John Bolton. And then had someone threaten nuclear annihilation of the United States. (US) President (Donald) Trump didn’t take that. What he did was he called off the summit and he was widely criticised for it. And Kim Jong Un changed his position. He said he was going to do denuclearisation. Again, we don’t have the conditions yet but at least that's a big shift and asked to have the meeting again. And that’s what I mean by 'begging for it'.”

3. Close of Giuliani

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

"It is pointing out that the president is the stronger figure and you're not going to have useful negotiations unless he accepts that. And my words don't matter - I'm not involved in the negotiations. But my comments as a citizen are very important."

5. Cutaway of Giuliani with associates

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

"In order to try to develop evidence against him, they have brought a number of very questionable cases. The prosecution of Mr. (Paul) Manafort for things in 2005 that had nothing to do with President Trump. I can't imagine why...whether Mr. Manafort did something wrong or not - I cant judge. But I can say it has nothing to do with President Trump. And then these Russians that were indicted, who are never going to come to the United States, who play dirty tricks like dressing up as clowns. If that is Russian collusion, I don't know maybe it is. But, the real question is there's not a single link to anybody in America. So what's that about if it isn't trying to formulate a case on the president when there is no evidence for it. A judge recently said that this investigation is more like investigating a man than a crime. Because, they don't have a crime. And that's why I say 'they're trying to frame him.' Because, if they had any sense they would realise they're trying to put together a case on an innocent man and that's what we call in America 'framing somebody'."

7. Cutaway of Giuliani taking photos with associates

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

"We're trying to purify institutions. You're just part of that whole...media that wants to turn around and convict President Trump when he's done nothing wrong. And nobody wants to recognise that that's what these people are engaged in. Well it's my job to defend a client and if I have to take on an Attorney General or an independent council, by God, I'll take them on. I'm not the first lawyer to do that. When someone is unfairly prosecuting you, you have got to point that out loudly and clearly - this is an unfair investigation. It has no basis in fact. President Trump did not talk to, meet with, or have anything to do with Russians at any time during the 2016 election. That is a totally phoney charge. And over a year-and-a-half and 20 million dollars later they don't have a single piece of proof that he did. Now, if you aren't framing him, then stop the investigation, put out your report and let the chips fall where they may."

9 . Cutaway of Giuliani taking photos with associates

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

"If they can show us some hard incriminating facts from that evidence, then we would consider advising our client to be interviewed. But, if we don't see it, then we have to conclude that we're not dealing with a fair-minded group of people."

11. Giuliani with associates

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rudy Giuliani, US President Donald Trump's lawyer:

"Not only did (Robert) Mueller bring in heavy Democratic partisans to conduct the investigation of a Republican, he's also using the FBI agents who conducted the totally unfair, totally biased, in the other direction, investigation of Hillary Clinton. They should have used new agents, not agents that have conducted probably one of the most flawed investigations in American history."

13. Giuliani getting on a bus

US President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday said Special Counsel Robert Mueller needs to turn in a report on his investigation into alleged Trump campaign collusion with Russia by September or risk meddling with the midterm elections.

He pointed out that former FBI Director James Comey reopened the Hillary Clinton email investigation just before the 2016 election, calling it "horrible".

Giuliani spoke to reporters during a White House event on sports and fitness.

POOL

Washington DC - 30 May 2018

1. Rudy Giuliani, attorney for US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters outside White House during sports fitness event.

UPSOUND: Giuliani: "By September 1st,the public should have an explanation of what (Special Counsel Robert) Mueller has. I really want that because I don't think he has much."

(++reporter questions++)

Guiliani: "I don't know what.. they can get rid of the Trump situation without Manafort (Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign manager). In fact, that may be the only way they can prosecute Manafort. The judge in that case, Ellis (T. S. Ellis III, judge in Manafort case), very harsh about not being authorised and they're only doing it to trap Trump. So, if Trump is cleared, then there'd be a lot more to the Manafort. Thank you."

(++reporter asks how Robert Mueller is meddling in the midterm elections++)

Giuliani: "He's not. Well, he will. If he doesn't file his report by September first, mid-September, he's clearly doing a Comey (former FBI Director James Comey)."

(++reporter asks if Trump will fire Mueller++)

Giuliani: "I don't think he's going to fire him. Mueller is creating his own problems."

(++reporter question, part inaudible during announcement, about Mueller's investigation going on past midterm elections++)

Giuliani: "Damn right they do. That may be a mistake. Maybe the American people have concluded that impeachment is not proper. They're going to do everything they can to say they aren't going to impeach him. Everybody in this town knows."

(++reporter asks Guiliani what he meant++):

"Meaning meddling in the election. Doing Hillary (former Democratic presidential candidate and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) in July. Doing Hillary again in late October. And then pulling back on the investigation. The weekend before the election? Horrible. You're going to get a report from (Dept. of Justice Inspector General Michael) Horowitz that will explain all that."

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

President Donald Trump has threatened to fire special counsel Robert Mueller over the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S election.

Trump, who was incensed by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as well.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear on Tuesday that White House officials have explored Trump's authority to fire Mueller.

AP White House reporter Jonathan Lemire says the White House believes that it's possible because "Mueller is under the wings of the executive branch."

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

The raid, in which agents seized attorney Michael Cohen's records on topics including a $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump, left the president "the angriest the president has been since he's taken office," Lemire said.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein as well as Rosenstein's boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

POOL

FILE: Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

1. Various of Rod Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

2 . SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"The president and the White House have done some research and we heard Sarah Sanders, the press secretary say yesterday at the briefing that they believe that he himself has the authority to do it. That's because Mueller is under the wings of the executive branch that they could, the president would be able to fire him on his own. But, there's some contention that's not the case and some of the Department of Justice and some legal scholars have said, no, that's not how this would work. Instead, it would be through the Department of Justice. Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, of course has recused himself so he's not involved but then the Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein is and that would be Rosenstein would have to be the one to fire Mueller. He has said he would only do so if he found proper cause and to this point he hasn't. The issue is, does Trump then fire the deputy attorney general, Rosenstein and try to replace him with someone else who would fire Mueller."

POOL

FILE: Washington DC - 13 June 2013

3. Various of former FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn before Congress

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

4.SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"Within the White House there has been a lot of push back to the president, like don't fire Bob Mueller. This will create more problems, it will plunge potentially the country into a constitutional crisis, but at the very least a political firestorm because there would be a lot of push back, not just from Democrats but probably a number of prominent Republicans on the Hill."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE - Washington - Date unknown

++ AUDIO MUTE ++

5. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"There is though, however, a team of outside advisers, sort of Trump's informal kitchen cabinet, those people he calls you know from the residence of the White House early in the morning or late at night. A number of those people have suggested to him, hey you need to be tougher. Mueller is imperiling your presidency. You should fire him."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 17 April 1973

7. Photo of President Richard Nixon

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"If Trump goes to Department of Justice and fires Rosenstein, fires whoever his deputy is and keeps going on down the line until he finds someone who says, sure I'll fire Bob Mueller for you. Then that would be reminiscent of Richard Nixon's move back in the 70's during the height of Watergate where he had a similar clearing out."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - April 11, 2018

9. Trump attorney Michael Cohen walking

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"This is probably the angriest the president has been since he's taken office. That the raid of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen's home and office here in New York on Monday, has really set him off, that he feels like that crossed the red line that he put down about this investigations."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - April 11, 2018

11. Trump attorney Michael Cohen walking

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"'There's a suggestion that if Trump tries to scuttle the federal probe, that if he does try, whether it's personally or through the Department of Justice to shut down Bob Mueller, that's something that happens in a state would be able to continue. So, it's possible this thread of the probe (Cohen investigation) would keep going even if Trump moves to shut down Mueller."

POOL

FILE: Washington DC - 13 June 2013

13. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller testifying before Congress

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller has done.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion," Nadler said.

"Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented a special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump," he added.

"We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fuelling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump.

Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

And he made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: CORRECTED SPELLING OF FIRST NAME OF JERROLD NADLER++

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium ++SHOT CONTINUES INTO NEXT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, New York Representative (Democrat):

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special Counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which Special Counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

++EDIT ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

Special counsel Robert Mueller, breaking a two-year silence on his investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, says charging a president with a crime was "not an option" his team could consider in the Russia investigation.

Mueller says that he was bound by long-standing Justice Department opinions that say a president can't be indicted while in office.

In his first public comments in the probe, Mueller said on Wednesday "it would be unfair" to potentially accuse someone of a crime when the person couldn't stand trial to defend himself.

Mueller's comments echoed the findings in his public report.

Mueller's report revealed that US President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller's removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president.

Trump has called the investigation a "witch hunt."

POOL

Washington, DC - 29 May 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Special Counsel:

SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Special Counsel:

"Two years ago the acting attorney general asked me to serve as special counsel and he created the special counsel's office.  The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign. Now I have not spoken publicly during our investigation. I'm speaking out today because our investigation is complete. The attorney general has made the report on our investigation largely public. We are formally closing the special counsel's office and as well, I'm resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life. I'll make a few remarks about the results of our work, but beyond these few remarks it is important that the office's written work speak for itself. Let me begin where the appointment order begins and that is interference in the 2016 presidential election. As alleged by the grand jury in an indictment, Russian intelligence officers, who were part of the Russian military, launched a concerted attack on our political system. The indictment alleges that they use sophisticated cyber techniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks. The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate. And at the same time, as the grand jury alleged in a separate indictment, a private Russian entity engaged in a social media operation where Russian citizens posed as Americans in order to influence an election. These indictments contain allegations and we are not commenting on the guilt or the innocence of any specific defendant. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The indictments allege and the other activities in our report describe efforts to interfere in our political system. They needed to be investigated and understood and that is among the reasons why the Department of Justice established our office. That is also a reason we investigated efforts to obstruct the investigation.  The matters we investigated were of paramount importance. It was critical for us to obtain full and accurate information from every person we questioned. When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of the government's effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable. Let me say a word about the report. The report has two parts, addressing the two main issues we were asked to investigate. The first volume of the report details numerous efforts emanating from Russia to influence the election. This volume includes a discussion of the Trump campaign's response to this activity as well as our conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy. And in the second volume, the report describes the results and analysis of our obstruction of justice investigation involving the president. The order appointing me Special Counsel authorized us to investigate actions that could obstruct the investigation. We conducted that investigation and we kept the office of the acting attorney general apprised of the progress of our work and as set forth in the report, after that investigation, if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime we would have said so. We did not however make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime. The introduction to the volume 2 of our report explains that decision. It explains that under long standing department policy a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that too is prohibited. The special counsel's office is part of the Department of Justice and by regulation it was bound by that department policy.  Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

Robert Mueller has been given sweeping power to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan respect.

Senate Democrats reacted with virtually unanimous applause Thursday morning.

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The former FBI director has a broad mandate that could encompass any questionable actions of President Donald Trump's associates and possibly even the circumstances of last week's abrupt firing of James Comey.

As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf.

He is entitled to a budget, can request new or additional staff and will have the same authority as high-ranking Justice Department lawyers, including the ability to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.

Washington, DC - 18 May 2017

+++SOUNDBITES ONLY, NO BROLL+++

+++SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia

"It's the first time I have had my phone light up after six o'clock from my friends on both sides of the aisle, both impressed with the appointment. I think it shows we can rise above any cloud that's thrown on us in Washington."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon

"Bob Mueller and I have certainly had differences of opinion, particularly with my concern with the government's authority to do surveillance on law abiding Americans, but I do consider him to be a professional and an honorable man."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

"He's a very good attorney. He's a very diligent person. He's a wonderful man, and I think he will be a superior independent counsel."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Pat Leahy, (D) Vermont

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that. I've known him for years. I worked with him both as chairman and as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I think Bob Mueller is a good choice."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

"I'm very confident that Bob Mueller will do the right thing, here, follow the evidence wherever it might lead. There is mounting evidence of obstruction of justice and impropriety, illegality that preceded this administration and may have continued while its in power."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle. You've heard barely a complaint about his which is quite unique. I got to work with him some because he was in the middle of an investigation of terrorist recruitment of people in Minnesota who were trying to join al-Shabaab. I was really impressed with his work then, and I continue to be impressed by him."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

Robert Mueller has been given sweeping power to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan respect.

Senate Democrats reacted with virtually unanimous applause Thursday morning.

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The former FBI director has a broad mandate that could encompass any questionable actions of President Donald Trump's associates and possibly even the circumstances of last week's abrupt firing of James Comey.

As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf.

He is entitled to a budget, can request new or additional staff and will have the same authority as high-ranking Justice Department lawyers, including the ability to prosecute any crimes he uncovers.

Washington, DC - 18 May 2017

+++SOUNDBITES ONLY, NO BROLL+++

+++SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Joe Manchin, (D) West Virginia

"It's the first time I have had my phone light up after six o'clock from my friends on both sides of the aisle, both impressed with the appointment. I think it shows we can rise above any cloud that's thrown on us in Washington."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon

"Bob Mueller and I have certainly had differences of opinion, particularly with my concern with the government's authority to do surveillance on law abiding Americans, but I do consider him to be a professional and an honorable man."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D) California

"He's a very good attorney. He's a very diligent person. He's a wonderful man, and I think he will be a superior independent counsel."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Pat Leahy, (D) Vermont

"You've got to have somebody of integrity, Bob Mueller does have that. I've known him for years. I worked with him both as chairman and as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I think Bob Mueller is a good choice."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

"I'm very confident that Bob Mueller will do the right thing, here, follow the evidence wherever it might lead. There is mounting evidence of obstruction of justice and impropriety, illegality that preceded this administration and may have continued while its in power."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D) Minnesota

"Well, it's like a breath of fresh air has come into this week long saga in that I think he is someone that has support on both sides of the aisle. You've heard barely a complaint about his which is quite unique. I got to work with him some because he was in the middle of an investigation of terrorist recruitment of people in Minnesota who were trying to join al-Shabaab. I was really impressed with his work then, and I continue to be impressed by him."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency, entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president's closest associates.

The comprehensive report, still confidential, marks the end of Mueller's probe but sets the stage for big public fights to come.

Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker says the next steps are up to Attorney General William Barr, to Congress and, in all likelihood, federal courts.

Barr is "going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

With no details released at this point, it's not known whether Mueller's report answers the core questions of his investigation: Did Trump's campaign collude with the Kremlin to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of the celebrity businessman? Also, did Trump take steps later, including by firing his FBI director, to obstruct the probe?

But Tucker says the delivery of the report does mean the investigation has concluded without any public charges of a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and Russia, or of obstruction by the president.

Mueller is not recommending any further indictments in the Russia probe, a Justice Department official confirmed Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

1. Wide shot of the White House as the sun sets

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - June 2013

2. STILL photo of Robert Mueller at FBI headquarters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller today concluded his nearly two year long investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He delivered a confidential report to the Justice Department this afternoon and Attorney General William Barr says he will report back to Congress as soon as this weekend about a summary of the findings of that report."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

McLean, Virginia - 19 March 2019

4. Attorney General William Barr leaving his house for work

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The attorney general is going to review this report and we know from Justice Department officials it's a comprehensive report. He's going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 19 March 2019

6. Exterior shots of the Justice Department

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Attorney General Barr has committed to releasing information as well to the public so the information he delivers to congressional officials we expect to also be released to the public."

8. Letter from Attorney General William Barr to members of Congress

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The other thing that we know that's really important that I want to point out is that the special counsel is not recommending any additional indictments. There have been lots of speculation about other people who might be in trouble or scrutinized, members of the president's family, all sorts of different speculation, and apparently the special counsel says none of that is happening. He's not recommending any additional charges from his office."

POOL

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

10. Donald Trump walks off Air Force One after landing in Palm Beach

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We're not clear what's in the report so it's hard to say how this bodes for the central mandate of the Special Counsel in terms of whether he's found allegations of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But again, it's important to note this investigation is concluding without any criminal charges along those lines. So there are no criminal charges against the president or anybody else from his campaign alleging a criminal conspiracy with the Russian government."

POOL

Fletcher, North Carolina, US - 21 October 2016

12. Donald Trump walks into rally during 2016 presidential campaign

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We'll have to see what the actual findings are. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been reluctant to sort of talk about impeachment proceedings. She said the president's not worth it. So it strikes me that it would require something that's really damning and incriminating for the president that's in the report for Democrats to take any sort of organized impeachment action."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

14. US President Donald Trump walks on White House South Lawn to talk to press before departing to Florida

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency, entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president's closest associates.

The comprehensive report, still confidential, marks the end of Mueller's probe but sets the stage for big public fights to come.

Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker says the next steps are up to Attorney General William Barr, to Congress and, in all likelihood, federal courts.

Barr is "going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

With no details released at this point, it's not known whether Mueller's report answers the core questions of his investigation: Did Trump's campaign collude with the Kremlin to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of the celebrity businessman? Also, did Trump take steps later, including by firing his FBI director, to obstruct the probe?

But Tucker says the delivery of the report does mean the investigation has concluded without any public charges of a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and Russia, or of obstruction by the president.

Mueller is not recommending any further indictments in the Russia probe, a Justice Department official confirmed Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

1. Wide shot of the White House as the sun sets

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - June 2013

2. STILL photo of Robert Mueller at FBI headquarters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller today concluded his nearly two year long investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He delivered a confidential report to the Justice Department this afternoon and Attorney General William Barr says he will report back to Congress as soon as this weekend about a summary of the findings of that report."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

McLean, Virginia - 19 March 2019

4. Attorney General William Barr leaving his house for work

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The attorney general is going to review this report and we know from Justice Department officials it's a comprehensive report. He's going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 19 March 2019

6. Exterior shots of the Justice Department

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Attorney General Barr has committed to releasing information as well to the public so the information he delivers to congressional officials we expect to also be released to the public."

8. Letter from Attorney General William Barr to members of Congress

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The other thing that we know that's really important that I want to point out is that the special counsel is not recommending any additional indictments. There have been lots of speculation about other people who might be in trouble or scrutinized, members of the president's family, all sorts of different speculation, and apparently the special counsel says none of that is happening. He's not recommending any additional charges from his office."

POOL

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

10. Donald Trump walks off Air Force One after landing in Palm Beach

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We're not clear what's in the report so it's hard to say how this bodes for the central mandate of the Special Counsel in terms of whether he's found allegations of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But again, it's important to note this investigation is concluding without any criminal charges along those lines. So there are no criminal charges against the president or anybody else from his campaign alleging a criminal conspiracy with the Russian government."

POOL

Fletcher, North Carolina, US - 21 October 2016

12. Donald Trump walks into rally during 2016 presidential campaign

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We'll have to see what the actual findings are. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been reluctant to sort of talk about impeachment proceedings. She said the president's not worth it. So it strikes me that it would require something that's really damning and incriminating for the president that's in the report for Democrats to take any sort of organized impeachment action."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

14. President Donald Trump walks on White House South Lawn to talk to press before departing to Florida

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency, entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president's closest associates.

The comprehensive report, still confidential, marks the end of Mueller's probe but sets the stage for big public fights to come.

Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker says the next steps are up to Attorney General William Barr, to Congress and, in all likelihood, federal courts.

Barr is "going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

With no details released at this point, it's not known whether Mueller's report answers the core questions of his investigation: Did Trump's campaign collude with the Kremlin to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of the celebrity businessman? Also, did Trump take steps later, including by firing his FBI director, to obstruct the probe?

But Tucker says the delivery of the report does mean the investigation has concluded without any public charges of a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and Russia, or of obstruction by the president.

Mueller is not recommending any further indictments in the Russia probe, a Justice Department official confirmed Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

1. Wide shot of the White House as the sun sets

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - June 2013

2. STILL photo of Robert Mueller at FBI headquarters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller today concluded his nearly two year long investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He delivered a confidential report to the Justice Department this afternoon and Attorney General William Barr says he will report back to Congress as soon as this weekend about a summary of the findings of that report."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

McLean, Virginia - 19 March 2019

4. Attorney General William Barr leaving his house for work

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The attorney general is going to review this report and we know from Justice Department officials it's a comprehensive report. He's going to review this report and will decide how much of it to make public. He says he will release something as soon as this weekend that functions as a summary of the central findings of the special counsel."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 19 March 2019

6. Exterior shots of the Justice Department

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Attorney General Barr has committed to releasing information as well to the public so the information he delivers to congressional officials we expect to also be released to the public."

8. Letter from Attorney General William Barr to members of Congress

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The other thing that we know that's really important that I want to point out is that the special counsel is not recommending any additional indictments. There have been lots of speculation about other people who might be in trouble or scrutinized, members of the president's family, all sorts of different speculation, and apparently the special counsel says none of that is happening. He's not recommending any additional charges from his office."

POOL

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

10. Donald Trump walks off Air Force One after landing in Palm Beach

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We're not clear what's in the report so it's hard to say how this bodes for the central mandate of the Special Counsel in terms of whether he's found allegations of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But again, it's important to note this investigation is concluding without any criminal charges along those lines. So there are no criminal charges against the president or anybody else from his campaign alleging a criminal conspiracy with the Russian government."

POOL

Fletcher, North Carolina, US - 21 October 2016

12. Donald Trump walks into rally during 2016 presidential campaign

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We'll have to see what the actual findings are. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been reluctant to sort of talk about impeachment proceedings. She said the president's not worth it. So it strikes me that it would require something that's really damning and incriminating for the president that's in the report for Democrats to take any sort of organized impeachment action."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2019

14. President Donald Trump walks on White House South Lawn to talk to press before departing to Florida

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

President Donald Trump has threatened to fire special counsel Robert Mueller over the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S election.

Trump, who was incensed by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as well.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made clear on Tuesday that White House officials have explored Trump's authority to fire Mueller.

AP White House reporter Jonathan Lemire says the White House believes that it's possible because "Mueller is under the wings of the executive branch."

Under Justice Department regulations, only Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation, can fire Mueller.

The raid, in which agents seized attorney Michael Cohen's records on topics including a $130,000 payment to a porn actress who alleges she had sex with Trump, left the president "the angriest the president has been since he's taken office," Lemire said.

Trump also revived his broadsides on Rosenstein as well as Rosenstein's boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he belittled to confidants for recusing himself from the investigation and, in turn, delivering him to Mueller.

POOL

FILE: Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

1. Various of Rod Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

2 . SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"The president and the White House have done some research and we heard Sarah Sanders, the press secretary say yesterday at the briefing that they believe that he himself has the authority to do it. That's because Mueller is under the wings of the executive branch that they could, the president would be able to fire him on his own. But, there's some contention that's not the case and some of the Department of Justice and some legal scholars have said, no, that's not how this would work. Instead, it would be through the Department of Justice. Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, of course has recused himself so he's not involved but then the Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein is and that would be Rosenstein would have to be the one to fire Mueller. He has said he would only do so if he found proper cause and to this point he hasn't. The issue is, does Trump then fire the deputy attorney general, Rosenstein and try to replace him with someone else who would fire Mueller."

POOL

FILE: Washington DC - 13 June 2013

3. Various of former FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn before Congress

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

4.SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"Within the White House there has been a lot of push back to the president, like don't fire Bob Mueller. This will create more problems, it will plunge potentially the country into a constitutional crisis, but at the very least a political firestorm because there would be a lot of push back, not just from Democrats but probably a number of prominent Republicans on the Hill."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE - Washington - Date unknown

++ AUDIO MUTE ++

5. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"There is though, however, a team of outside advisers, sort of Trump's informal kitchen cabinet, those people he calls you know from the residence of the White House early in the morning or late at night. A number of those people have suggested to him, hey you need to be tougher. Mueller is imperiling your presidency. You should fire him."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 17 April 1973

7. Photo of President Richard Nixon

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"If Trump goes to Department of Justice and fires Rosenstein, fires whoever his deputy is and keeps going on down the line until he finds someone who says, sure I'll fire Bob Mueller for you. Then that would be reminiscent of Richard Nixon's move back in the 70's during the height of Watergate where he had a similar clearing out."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - April 11, 2018

9. Trump attorney Michael Cohen walking

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"This is probably the angriest the president has been since he's taken office. That the raid of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen's home and office here in New York on Monday, has really set him off, that he feels like that crossed the red line that he put down about this investigations."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - April 11, 2018

11. Trump attorney Michael Cohen walking

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 11 April 2018

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP White House Reporter:

"'There's a suggestion that if Trump tries to scuttle the federal probe, that if he does try, whether it's personally or through the Department of Justice to shut down Bob Mueller, that's something that happens in a state would be able to continue. So, it's possible this thread of the probe (Cohen investigation) would keep going even if Trump moves to shut down Mueller."

POOL

FILE: Washington DC - 13 June 2013

13. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller testifying before Congress