Trump Criticizes Mueller, Again, as a Former CIA Director Suggests Russia ‘May Have Something’ on the President

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump indirectly criticized Robert Mueller, the special counsel, on Wednesday for the ongoing investigation into Russia’s 2016 campaign meddling, even as a former CIA director said during a morning news show that President Vladimir Putin of Russia may have compromising information on Trump.

After a weekend of attacking Mueller — against the advice of his own lawyers — Trump picked up again in early morning tweets when he quoted a Harvard professor who said Mueller should never have been appointed to be the special counsel to investigate Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. That investigation has expanded into inquiries into Trump’s aides and his own business dealings.

“I was opposed to the selection of Mueller to be Special Council,” Trump tweeted, misspelling the word, “counsel,” as he quoted Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor who has been outspoken in his defense of the president.

“Special Council is told to find crimes, whether a crime exists or not,” he wrote. “I was opposed to the selection of Mueller to be Special Council. I am still opposed to it. I think President Trump was right when he said there never should have been a Special Council appointed because.....

“...there was no probable cause for believing that there was any crime, collusion or otherwise, or obstruction of justice!” So stated by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz.”

Separately, on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” John Brennan, a former CIA director, speculated that the Russians “may have something on him personally,” referring to Trump.

Brennan was the CIA director when a salacious dossier surfaced in 2016 that claimed the Russians had compromising information on Trump. There has been no proof that such material exists, but Trump’s affection for the Russian leader has raised questions about the nature of their relationship.

On Tuesday, Trump congratulated Putin on his re-election and made no mention of the election meddling. Trump has routinely issued statements about Russia and Putin that sound at odds with his own advisers and administration actions.

“I think he’s afraid of the president of Russia,” said Brennan, now retired from government service and a critic of Trump.

On Saturday, Brennan attacked Trump on Twitter after the president tweeted about his excitement over the firing of the deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe.

“When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history,” Brennan wrote.

For months, Trump personally attacked McCabe, a 21-year veteran of the FBI and former deputy director. McCabe briefly served in the top role after Trump fired James Comey, the president’s first FBI director. McCabe was fired on the eve of his retirement, which puts his government pension in jeopardy. After the firing, it was disclosed that McCabe kept memos on Trump, which Mueller’s investigators can access.

Mueller has accused 13 Russians and three companies of election meddling. Three of Trump’s former associates have pleaded guilty as part of the ongoing inquiry. Last week, the special counsel issued subpoenas for the Trump organization, seeking documents including some related to Russia.

Trump has consistently called the investigation into Russia’s meddling a “hoax.”