Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer said special counsel Robert Mueller is "politically un-fireable," warning that President Trump “would be engulfed” if he tried to fire the leader of the the federal probe into Russian election meddling.

Krauthammer noted Thursday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that although Mueller has a broad mandate from the Justice Department to look into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, legally Trump could fire him.

But he said such a move would backfire badly for Trump.

Krauthammer noted reports that Mueller is looking into financial ties between Trump and Russian businesses.

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"It is reasonable to follow the money," he said.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the president has been particularly upset by the notion that Mueller could access Trump's personal tax returns, which he has repeatedly declined to release to the public.

Trump in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday did not say that he would order the Justice Department to fire Mueller or under what circumstances he would fire him, but indicated Mueller investigating his family's finances is beyond the scope of the probe into ties between his administration and Russia.

“I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia,” Trump told the Times.

Reports emerged last month that Trump was considering firing Mueller, drawing criticism from lawmakers of both parties. The White House pushed back against those reports, saying Trump had “no intention” of firing the special counsel.