sel . ▁According ▁to ▁CNN , ▁another ▁reason ▁Trump ▁wanted ▁to ▁fire ▁Mu eller ▁was ▁Trump ' s ▁per ception ▁that ▁Mu eller ▁was ▁close ▁friends ▁with ▁Com ey , ▁although ▁others ▁have ▁described ▁them ▁as ▁professional ▁acquaint ances ▁from ▁having ▁simultaneously ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department ▁during ▁the ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁presiden cy . ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Trump ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁thought ▁about ▁firing ▁Mu eller , ▁and ▁by ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁he ▁had ▁denied ▁it ▁twice ▁more ; ▁in ▁that ▁time ▁period ▁his ▁law y ers ▁and ▁advis ers ▁also ▁issued ▁five ▁similar ▁den ial s . ▁By ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁and ▁his ▁sur rog ates ▁had ▁denied ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁considered ▁firing ▁Mu eller ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁eight ▁times . ▁Trump ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁story ▁as ▁" f ake ▁news ". ▁McG ahn ▁was ▁interview ed ▁by ▁Mu eller ' s ▁investig ators ▁on ▁November ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Trump ▁reported ly ▁instruct ed ▁his ▁a ides ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁campaign ▁for ▁his ▁administration ▁and ▁his ▁Republican ▁al lies ▁to ▁dis cred it ▁potential ▁witness es ▁in ▁the ▁investigation , ▁including ▁F BI ▁officials ▁Andrew ▁McC abe , ▁Jim ▁Ry b icki , ▁and ▁James ▁Baker . ▁The ▁three ▁men ▁had ▁been ▁identified ▁by ▁Com ey ▁as ▁his ▁conf