"Special Counsel Mueller has served our country with honesty and integrity," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) wrote on Twitter. | AP Photo White House attorney: Trump not considering firing Mueller

President Donald Trump is not considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, White House attorney Ty Cobb said Sunday evening, attempting to assuage concerns that Trump's attacks of Mueller mean a showdown is imminent.

"In response to media speculation and related questions being posed to the Administration, the White House yet again confirms that the President is not considering or discussing the firing of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller," Cobb said in a statement to the White House press pool.


Trump's decision to personally attack Mueller, a move he avoided in the past, caused renewed focus on the status of Mueller's job. Cobb's statement comes as many fellow Republicans spent Sunday warning the president not to go after Mueller and certainly not to fire him.

"Special Counsel Mueller has served our country with honesty and integrity. It’s critical he be allowed to complete a thorough investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election — unimpeded," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) wrote on Twitter.

South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy told the president that if he is innocent, he should act like it.

"If you’ve done nothing wrong, you should want the investigation to be as fulsome and thorough as possible," Gowdy said on "Fox News Sunday."