Trump says he believes Mueller will treat him 'fairly' in the Russia investigation
- President Donald Trump gave a wide-ranging interview to The New York Times insisting, in part, that he believes the special counsel Robert Mueller will treat him "fairly" in the ongoing Russia probe.
- Trump's tone in the article published Thursday night was different from that of his right-leaning allies who have dramatically escalated their attacks on the investigation, and called into question the integrity of top law-enforcement officials.
President Donald Trump insisted that he believes the special counsel Robert Mueller will treat him "fairly" in the ongoing Russia investigation, but thinks the probe - which has been gaining steam since Mueller took the helm in May - makes the US "look very bad."
Trump made those comments in a one-on-one interview with a New York Times reporter that was published Thursday night.
Trump's tone on the Russia investigation was noticeably different from that of his right-leaning allies inside and outside of the US government, who have for weeks railed against Mueller, his prosecutors, the FBI, and the nation's top law-enforcement officials - ostensibly in an effort to discredit the Russia probe.
Despite this, the president gave the appearance that he is willing to let the process run its course without interference. He also seemed, according to the newspaper, unconcerned about how long the investigation may take.
But Trump repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, as he has in multiple interviews and public appearances over the course of this year. In The Times' Thursday night report, Trump mentioned the phrase "no collusion" 16 times.
His lawyers have asserted at various points this year that Mueller may conclude the inquiry sooner than later. White House lawyer Ty Cobb previously said it could end by Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, and later suggested it could happen in early 2018.
Experts have said it is not possible to know when Mueller and his investigative team will reach their final conclusions in the case.