▁personally ▁under ▁investigation . ▁McG ahn ▁made ▁the ▁call ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁conv ince ▁Bo ente ▁that ▁Com ey ▁should ▁make ▁the ▁statement . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Trump ▁reported ly ▁tried ▁to ▁fire ▁Mu eller , ▁according ▁to ▁several ▁independent ▁accounts ▁published ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁reports ▁said ▁that ▁Trump ▁told ▁McG ahn ▁to ▁fire ▁Mu eller ; ▁that ▁McG ahn ▁refused , ▁saying ▁that ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁cat ast roph ic ▁effect ▁on ▁Trump ' s ▁presiden cy ; ▁and ▁that ▁Trump ▁then ▁back ed ▁off . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁McG ahn ▁said ▁he ▁would ▁res ign ▁rather ▁than ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁order , ▁while ▁CNN ▁said ▁McG ahn ▁did ▁not ▁directly ▁threaten ▁to ▁res ign , ▁and ▁Fox ▁News ▁said ▁Trump ▁was ▁persu aded ▁not ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁action ▁by ▁McG ahn ▁and ▁other ▁a ides . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁report ▁said ▁that ▁Trump ▁c ited ▁three ▁conflicts ▁of ▁interest ▁on ▁Mu eller ' s ▁part ▁to ▁justify ▁the ▁dismiss al : ▁a ▁years - old ▁dispute ▁over ▁fe es ▁at ▁Trump ▁National ▁G olf ▁Club ; ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Mu eller ▁had ▁most ▁recently ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁law ▁firm ▁that ▁previously ▁represented ▁Trump ' s ▁son - in - law , ▁J ared ▁K ush ner ; ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Mu eller ▁had ▁been ▁interview ed ▁to ▁return ▁as ▁F BI ▁Director ▁the ▁day ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁special ▁coun