, ▁and ▁Zero ▁Republic ans ". ▁Trump ▁did ▁not ▁note ▁that ▁Mu eller ▁himself ▁is ▁a ▁Republican , ▁as ▁is ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁appointed ▁him , ▁Rod ▁Rosen stein — who ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁Trump . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁he ▁had ▁critic ized ▁Mu eller ▁by ▁name , ▁alarm ing ▁many ▁prominent ▁Republic ans , ▁who ▁ca ution ed ▁Trump ▁not ▁to ▁critic ize ▁Mu eller ▁or ▁give ▁any ▁appearance ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁cont empl ating ▁having ▁Mu eller ▁dismiss ed ; ▁they ▁war ned ▁of ▁dire ▁re per cuss ions ▁if ▁he ▁did . ▁President ial ▁lawyer ▁Ty ▁C obb ▁later ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁president ▁" is ▁not ▁considering ▁or ▁discuss ing " ▁firing ▁Mu eller . ▁ ▁Trump ▁also ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁" w itch ▁h unt " ▁that ▁began ▁" right ▁after ▁I ▁won ▁the ▁nom ination " ▁is ▁" an ▁attack ▁on ▁our ▁country ▁in ▁a ▁true ▁sense . ▁It ' s ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁what ▁we ▁all ▁stand ▁for ." ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁twe et ed ▁that ▁the ▁special ▁coun sel ▁pro be , ▁led ▁by ▁" 1 3 ▁An gry ▁Democr ats ", ▁was ▁investig ating ▁him ▁on ▁" ob st ruction ▁for ▁a ▁made ▁up , ▁ph ony ▁crime ". ▁He ▁declared ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁obst ruction , ▁only ▁him ▁" f ight ing ▁back ". ▁He ▁maintained ▁the ▁" w itch ▁h unt " ▁narr ative ▁throughout ▁the ▁Mu eller ▁investigation ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁ 2