Figures on the right are increasingly turning against Donald Trump after Robert Mueller, speaking publicly for the first time in two years, appeared to hint at the prospect of impeachment.

Mr Mueller, reiterating his 448-page report, said in a much-anticipated statement on Wednesday that he “would have said so” if his investigators “had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime”, and noted that only congress has the authority to "formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing".

Contradicting attorney general William Barr’s claims, the special counsel added his office did not consider charging Mr Trump only because Justice Department policy prohibits indicting a sitting president.

Mr Barr had previously claimed Mr Mueller did not consider the guidance when choosing not to charge the president.

The special counsel’s intervention sparked renewed calls by many Democrats for the House leadership to instigate impeachment enquiries, but Mr Mueller’s testimony and report is appearing to have an effect on conservatives too.

Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Show all 7 1 /7 Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Doctors and mothers killing babies At a rally in Wisconsin in April 2019, Mr Trump made this extraordinary claim. “The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby,” Mr Trump said. “They wrap the baby beautifully and then the doctor and the mother decide whether they will execute the baby” Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "China rapes our country" At a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2016, Mr Trump said this in reference to the US trade deficit with China: "we can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world" Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "EU formed to take advantage of US" At a rally for the midterm elections in October 2018, Mr Trump called the EU a "brutal" alliance that "formed to take advantage of us" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it" Mr Trump first made this claim at the launch of his presidential campaign back in 2015: "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "Horrible, horrendous people" At a Republican rally in Pennsylvania on August 3 2018, President Trump deemed all journalists in attendance "horrible, horrendous people". He later denounced the "fake, fake, disgusting news" for falsely reporting that he was late to his meeting with the Queen when visiting Britain AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" Mr Trump said this in reference to his popularity during a rally in Iowa in 2016 AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I wish I could punch him" Mr Trump said this in reference to a protester who was escorted out of his rally in Las Vegas on 22 February, 2016. There was often violence between protesters and supporters at Trump's campaign rallies AFP/Getty

Justin Amash, who earlier this month became the first Republican in congress to call for Mr Trump’s impeachment, on Wednesday doubled down despite anger at him among Mr Trump’s base.

“The ball is in our court, Congress,” Mr Amash tweeted after Mr Mueller’s statement.

Republicans for the Rule of Law, a conservative group dedicated to “defending the institutions of our republic”, told Newsweek they would advertise next week on the president’s favourite TV news show, Fox & Friends, to urge members of congress to hold Mr Trump accountable.

"Everybody — Republicans and Democrats but especially Republicans — need to step up and say, 'Look, this is bigger than the politics of the day, this is about our democratic institutions'. If we don't defend them, that will have an impact on our country for decades to come," a spokesperson told the magazine.

Mr Trump’s former transition chief, Chris Christie, said Mr Mueller’s comments “definitely contradicts” Mr Barr’s summary of the special counsel’s report.

“In the end, on a sitting president, this is the call of the Congress playing their role as a coequal branch of government and they’re now going to have to decide what it is they want to do,” he added.

On Fox News, usually a bastion of support for the president, host Bret Baier said Mr Mueller had contradicted Mr Trump and Mr Barr’s interpretation of the report.

Republican Justin Amash says Trump's impeachable actions must have consequences

“This was not, as the president says time and time again, ‘no collusion, no obstruction.’ It was much more nuanced than that,” said Mr Baier, who was last month criticised by the president for interviewing Bernie Sanders.

Former Republican congressman Tom Coleman, who has been vocal in his support for impeachment, said whether the president is convicted will be decided by GOP-members in the Senate.

"I think we need to see some profiles and courage," he said.

Despite Mr Mueller’s contradiction of Mr Barr and the president’s claims of exoneration, the vast majority of Republicans in congress either remained silent on the issue or echoed the White House line that the “case is closed”.