President Donald Trump’s brazen move against the Russia investigation—removing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replacing him with Matthew Whitaker, a partisan hack who’s repeatedly talked about ending the Mueller investigation—has reportedly left some Trump’s allies “perplexed.” Why would Trump make such a controversial and legally suspect decision that just makes him look guilty?

Perhaps because Trump is clearly guilty. As the walls close in, Trump is increasingly willing to do anything to protect himself.

Mueller’s investigation is about the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia, and whether those corrupt entanglements are compromising our national security.

As FBI Director James Comey told Congress last March, before he was fired for investigating the president: “The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts. ”

” Similarly, as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein wrote when he authorized the investigation: “The Special Counsel is authorized to conduct the investigation confirmed by then-FBI Director James B. Comey … including: any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and any matters that arose or may arise directly from that investigation.”

Mueller’s investigation has revealed a Russian conspiracy against the United States and indicted top members of Trump’s campaign.

In less than 18 months, Mueller’s team has indicted 32 people and three companies for crimes against the United States, eliciting six guilty pleas.

Four members of Trump’s campaign, all of whom have clear ties to the Kremlin, have pleaded guilty, including Trump’s campaign chairman, deputy campaign chairman, and first National Security Adviser.

Mueller’s also indicted 25 Russian nationals behind the attack for engaging in an unprecedented conspiracy against the United States—and there are hints that Americans affiliated with Trump’s campaign may have been part of it.

Mueller’s investigation is closing in on the president.

Roger Stone and Donald Trump Jr., both members of Trump’s inner circle and advisers during the campaign, have said that they expect Mueller will indict them.

With the midterms over, Mueller is reportedly expected to release key findings

Meanwhile, with the House about to no longer be in the hands of Trump’s Republican accomplices, public hearings and subpoenas will soon be revealing the depths of his team’s complicity with Russia.

Trump knows better than anybody that his campaign’s criminal behavior goes straight to the top—after all, as we’ve noted before, Trump ran the Trump campaign. The president is not above the law and must not be allowed to fire his way out of accountability for his corruption.