▁bel ieves ▁he ▁has ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁do ▁it ▁directly , ▁although ▁he ▁is ▁not ▁currently ▁acting ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁Washington ▁Post ▁t ally , ▁by ▁August ▁ 2 1 ▁Trump ▁had ▁fired ▁or ▁threatened ▁over ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁officials ▁with ▁leadership ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁investigation . ▁Spe aking ▁to ▁Re ut ers ▁on ▁that ▁date ▁he ▁said , “ I ▁can ▁go ▁in , ▁and ▁I ▁could ▁do ▁whatever ▁— ▁I ▁could ▁run ▁it ▁if ▁I ▁want . ▁But ▁I ▁decided ▁to ▁stay ▁out . ▁I ’ m ▁totally ▁allowed ▁to ▁be ▁involved ▁if ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁be . ▁So ▁far , ▁I ▁haven ’ t ▁chosen ▁to ▁be ▁involved .” ▁ ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁attacks ▁on ▁investigation ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁appeared ▁to ▁abandon ▁his ▁att or ne ys ' ▁advice ▁to ▁avoid ▁directly ▁critic izing ▁the ▁Mu eller ▁investigation , ▁twe eting ▁that ▁the ▁" M u eller ▁pro be ▁should ▁never ▁have ▁been ▁started " ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁" W IT CH ▁H UNT !" ▁He ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁" there ▁was ▁trem end ous ▁le aking , ▁lying ▁and ▁cor ruption ▁at ▁the ▁highest ▁levels ▁of ▁the ▁F BI , ▁Justice ▁& ▁State ." ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁he ▁question ed ▁how ▁" f air " ▁it ▁was ▁that ▁" the ▁Mu eller ▁team ▁have ▁ 1 3 ▁hard ened ▁Democr ats , ▁some ▁big ▁Cro oked ▁Hill ary ▁supp or ters