Donald Trump Denies Reports He Tried to Fire Mueller

President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed as “fake news” reports that in June he ordered the top White House lawyer to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but backed off when his counsel threatened to resign.“Fake news. Fake news,” Mr. Trump said as he arrived in the World Economic Forum on Friday morning for meetings with foreign leaders ahead of his address this afternoon.

The New York Times first reported Thursday on Mr. Trump’s alleged directive, what would be the first known instance where he attempted to fire Mr. Mueller as the special counsel investigates whether Trump associates colluded in Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. Mr. Trump has denied collusion, and Moscow has denied meddling in the election.

The Department of Justice tapped Mr. Mueller to lead the investigation after Mr. Trump fired then-Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey last May. Mr. Comey had previously been leading the Russia probe.

Around the same point last summer as Mr. Trump reportedly issued his order to fire Mr. Mueller, West Wing officials expressed concern that White House counsel Don McGahn would quit out of frustration over the lack of protocols surrounding meetings between Mr. Trump and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, whose activities are under scrutiny in the Russia probe, The Wall Street Journal has reported.