The administration's pushes on trade and the ongoing conflict in Syria have come amid a period of significant upheaval within President Donald Trump’s team. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images Trump vows to 'fight back' against Mueller probe The president's ratcheted-up rhetoric comes as investigations reach deeper into Trump's inner circle.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday pledged that he will continue to “fight back” against Robert Mueller's Russia probe, while a bipartisan group of senators moved to further protect the special counsel from any attempt by Trump to oust him.

Trump has ratcheted up his public attacks on Mueller’s probe and related investigations since a Monday FBI raid on his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, stoking fears that the president could move to fire Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller probe.


“I (we) are doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus. No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!” Trump tweeted on Wednesday.

He quickly made good on his pledge to continue his rhetorical assault, writing: “Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!”

Mueller and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general overseeing the Mueller probe, are both Republicans, and Rosenstein was appointed by Trump.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated the president’s feelings at the press briefing on Wednesday when pressed on a report that the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape may have become a focus of an FBI investigation.

“The president certainly has been clear that he has a very deep concern about the direction that the special counsel and other investigations have taken,” Sanders said, again asserting that there was no collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. “We’re going to continue to stay focused on the issues.”

She went on to say that Mueller’s investigation is “bad for America.”

Other Republicans were already following Trump’s lead, intensifying their attacks on the Department of Justice and the FBI as investigations reach deeper into the president’s inner circle. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) threatened on Tuesday night to impeach Rosenstein and FBI director Christopher Wray over what he sees as a lack of cooperation into Republicans’ investigation into possible bias at the FBI.

The increasingly fiery rhetoric from Trump is alarming other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. A bipartisan piece of legislation to protect Mueller against a potential ousting was released in the Senate on Wednesday, and is expected to receive a vote in the Judiciary Committee. The bill would give the special counsel 10 days after being fired to challenge the termination in court.

The White House does not currently have a position on the bill, Sanders said on Wednesday.

The unveiling follows a Tuesday night report in the New York Times that Trump sought to fire Mueller in December after erroneous reports that Mueller was probing his business dealings with Deutsche Bank. The December incident would mark the second time Trump pushed to oust Mueller, as the New York Times reported Trump agitated for the firing in June, but was talked back by staff.

Questions about whether Trump would move to fire Mueller have been swirling for months, with leading Republicans consistently panning the idea. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has said such a move would be “the beginning of the end” of the Trump presidency.

Still, Trump has appeared emboldened in recent weeks to follow his own instincts, ousting both his secretary of state and national security adviser, who often disagreed with him.

Some advisers are also worried that Trump may be more reckless after the recent departure of communications director Hope Hicks, who Trump trusted and who showed a talent for talking him back from some controversial moves. The president is becoming increasingly angry and isolated, according to those around him, and he has been leaning on a cadre of Fox News hosts who have called for a militant stance toward Mueller.

The bellicose tweets come as the White House debates how to react to a recent chemical weapons attack in Syria, and as Trump has become more agitated over television coverage of the Russia probe and other tangential investigations, which are growing despite aides’ prior pledges that the Mueller probe would be wrapped up by now.

“So much Fake News about what is going on in the White House. Very calm and calculated with a big focus on open and fair trade with China, the coming North Korea meeting and, of course, the vicious gas attack in Syria. Feels great to have Bolton & Larry K on board,” Trump also wrote Wednesday morning.

Some Republicans on Wednesday sought to tamp down speculation that Trump might move against the special counsel.

“I can tell you the president is not talking about firing Mueller,” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), a close Trump ally who speaks regularly with the president. “Now is he very frustrated with the process and that this continues to go on and there is no evidence of collusion? Certainly.”

“My thoughts haven't changed,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan at a news conference announcing his own retirement. “I think they should be allowed to do their jobs. We have a rule of law in this country, and that’s a principle we all uphold. I have no reason to believe that's going to happen. I have assurances that’s not, because I've been talking to people in the White House about it.”

And liberals are promising a major response if Trump does fire Mueller.

The progressive organizers behind trumpisnotabovethelaw.org say they’ve seen a spike in traffic over the past three days, with more than 300,000 people pledging to hit the street if Trump fires Mueller, pardons witnesses or otherwise hinders the investigation.

“People are streaming in at a rapid rate because there’s a lot of fear about what Trump is saying about Mueller,” said Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs at Public Citizen. “He’s unhinged and backed into a corner, and when he’s backed in a corner he does crazy stuff.”

But those who have worked with the president were not so sure the president can resist.

“People warned him not to fire Comey and he still fired Comey,” said one former White House official about former FBI director James Comey. “He’s just at the point where he just doesn’t give a f---. … He was accused of sexually assaulting 14 or 15 women on the campaign trail and he still got elected. He’s at the point where he thinks the rules of gravity don’t apply to him.”

Within the White House, the mood is gloomy, with aides unsure what Trump will do next. One person close to the White House said the atmosphere in the building this week rivals two of the West Wing's darkest moments: when Trump fired Comey and when Rob Porter resigned amid domestic abuse allegations.

Trump’s Wednesday tweets marked the third straight day in which the president publicly vented frustration about the Monday raid on Cohen, who is a key player not just in the ongoing Russia probe but also to a lawsuit brought against the president by porn actress Stormy Daniels, who Cohen paid $130,000 shortly before the election to preclude her from going public with an alleged affair she had with Trump.

Trump, in remarks to reporters on Monday, said the raid against Cohen represented “an attack on our country” and “an attack on what we all stand for.”

Cohen told CNN late on Tuesday that the raid was “upsetting to say the least,” but also commended the FBI agents for their professionalism. It was a sharp break in tone from Trump, who said on Monday that he heard the FBI “broke into the office” of one of his personal attorneys, Cohen.

"I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided. But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion," Cohen said.

The Cohen raid came amid an already busy week at the White House, with the president engaged in efforts to reset the U.S. trade relationship with China by exchanging threats with Beijing to impose significant tariffs. Trump has also hinted strongly that he will launch a retaliatory strike against the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. has accused of using chemical weapons in an attack on a Damascus suburb last weekend.

“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” the president wrote in a separate tweet on Wednesday. “You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”

The administration's pushes on trade and the ongoing conflict in Syria have come amid a period of significant upheaval within Trump’s team. The White House is without a confirmed secretary of state as designate and current CIA Director Mike Pompeo awaits a Senate approval to fill the job vacated by Rex Tillerson, while CIA Director-designate Gina Haspel similarly awaits a hearing.

Homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert announced this week that he would leave Trump administration, while National security adviser John Bolton assumed his White House role only this week.

Andrew Restuccia, Lorraine Woellert, Aubree Eliza Weaver and Quint Forgey contributed to this report.

