The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would protect special counsels, like Robert S. Mueller III, who is leading the Russia investigation. And while Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has said he will not allow the bill to reach the floor for a vote, the bipartisan support in the committee sends a warning message to Mr. Trump about the consequences of firing Mr. Mueller.

It was also revealed Friday that the Russian lawyer who met with Trump campaign officials in Trump Tower in June 2016 has recanted her earlier denials of Russian government ties and admitted that she was a source of information for a top Kremlin official. The revelation came hours before Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee announced they had found no evidence that the Trump campaign aided Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the latest high-profile addition to the president’s legal team, is said to be working to reopen negotiations on a possible interview between the president and the special counsel.

Mr. Trump continued to distance himself from Michael D. Cohen, his personal lawyer who is under investigation from the Justice Department. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also declined to say whether he had recused himself from the inquiry into Mr. Cohen, given his recusal from the special counsel’s investigation. He also declined to answer when asked if he would quit if Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, was fired.

Additional Reading