id ants . ▁The ▁instruction ▁was ▁reported ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁by ▁Foreign ▁Policy . ▁Trump ' s ▁lead ▁att orney ▁John ▁Dow d ▁disput ed ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁the ▁report . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁Trump ▁sought ▁to ▁fire ▁Mu eller , ▁according ▁to ▁an ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁report ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁but ▁stopped ▁after ▁learning ▁the ▁news ▁reports ▁he ▁based ▁his ▁decision ▁on ▁were ▁incorrect . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁CNN ▁reported ▁that ▁Trump ▁was ▁unh appy ▁with ▁Deput y ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Rod ▁Rosen stein , ▁who ▁over se es ▁the ▁Mu eller ▁investigation . ▁Trump ▁reported ly ▁talked ▁about ▁wanting ▁to ▁fire ▁Rosen stein ▁and ▁proposed ▁firing ▁him , ▁before ▁being ▁persu aded ▁otherwise ▁by ▁his ▁advis ers . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁following ▁an ▁F BI ▁ra id ▁on ▁the ▁office ▁and ▁home ▁of ▁Trump ' s ▁private ▁att orney ▁Michael ▁C ohen , ▁Trump ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁spoke ▁open ly ▁about ▁firing ▁Mu eller , ▁saying ▁that ▁" many ▁people " ▁had ▁ad vised ▁him ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁and ▁" We ' ll ▁see ▁what ▁happens ." ▁Under ▁Department ▁of ▁Justice ▁reg ulations , ▁that ▁authority ▁can ▁only ▁be ▁exerc ised ▁by ▁Rosen stein , ▁the ▁DO J ▁official ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁special ▁coun sel ▁investigation , ▁but ▁White ▁House ▁Press ▁Secretary ▁Sarah ▁H uck ab ee ▁Sand ers ▁said ▁that ▁Trump