The White House has said Donald Trump does not intend to fire the special counsel leading the investigation into Russian involvement with the President's electoral campaign.

Mr Trump had earlier questioned Robert Mueller's integrity in an interview with Fox News.

He described the special counsel, who is a former FBI director, as "good friends" with the former head of the FBI, James Comey.

Mr Comey had been overseeing an investigation into whether Mr Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to swing the election when he was abruptly fired by the President in May.

Mueller's links to Hillary 'worrisome'

Mr Mueller was appointed by the US Department of Justice shortly after Mr Comey's termination.


When asked directly whether Mr Mueller's friendship with the fired FBI director meant he should recuse himself from the investigation, the President said: "Well, he's very, very good friends with Comey, which is very bothersome. But he's also... we're going to have to see."

"I mean we're going to have to see in terms - look, there has been no obstruction. There has been no collusion. There has been leaking by Comey."

Mr Trump criticised Mr Mueller for having appointed "all Hillary Clinton supporters" to his staff for the investigation.

Reports in the US have suggested that three staffers hired by Mr Mueller made campaign contributions to candidates running for the Democratic Party.

The President later said he believed Mr Mueller was an "honourable man" and a statement from the White House explained that the President has no intention of firing Mr Mueller.

After he fired Mr Comey in May, Mr Trump tweeted that the former FBI director "better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"

Comey: 'Lordy, I hope there are tapes'

He later claimed that he did not tape his meetings with the former FBI boss, although his adviser Kellyanne Conway told CNN that the President was leaving "open the possibility that they may exist."

While testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, Mr Comey said he hoped there were tapes.

These claims were made ahead of Friday's deadline on turning over any recordings of the meetings between the President and the FBI director to the House Intelligence Committee.

During the interview with Fox, the President said he made the claim to keep Mr Comey honest, saying: "When he found out that I, you know, that there may be tapes out there, whether it's governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows, I think his story may have changed."

"It wasn't very stupid, I can tell you that," said Mr Trump.