White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE was not issuing a formal directive to Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsRoy Moore sues Alabama over COVID-19 restrictions GOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs MORE when he tweeted the attorney general should bring the Russia probe to an end.

..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

"It's not an order. It's the president's opinion," Sanders told reporters during a press briefing.

Sanders called the special counsel's probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 "ridiculous" and said the president "wants to see it come to an end."

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"The president is not obstructing. He is fighting back," she added.

Sessions has recused himself from the investigation into Moscow's election meddling, and Sanders said she was unaware of Trump making similar comments to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE, who is overseeing the special counsel.

Her comments echo those make by Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow, who told The Washington Post the president "uses tweets to express his opinion."

Multiple Republicans on Capitol Hill, however, pushed back on Trump's tweeted comments.

“I think it's highly inappropriate and intemperate. ...It would be far better if the president just refrained from commenting and Mr. Mueller proceeds with his investigation, which after all has already resulted in more than 30 indictments ... and has lead to a trial that is ongoing even as we speak,” Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden Credit union group to spend million on Senate, House races MORE (R-Maine) told reporters.

Trump's has repeatedly denounced special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's "witch hunt" investigation, and has railed against Sessions for his recusal, publicly expressing his desire that he had selected a different attorney general.