It took less than 24 hours.
Not even a day after The New York Timesreported that Trump had initially intended to have special counsel Robert Mueller fired, the president has denied the report, calling it “fake news.”
Trump was asked directly by press at the World Economic Forum whether the story was true. In reply, he told reporters that it was “fake news, folks, fake news. Typical New York Times fake stories.”
Read: Trump Says He ‘Would Love’ to Talk to Robert Mueller Under Oath
The Times story reported that Trump had ordered Mueller’s firing last June. He reportedly tried to argue that Mueller “had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation.” The White House counsel, Donald McGahn, reportedly threatened to quit rather than carry out Trump’s order, arguing that Mueller’s firing would have a “catastrophic effect” on Trump’s presidency. Trump then reportedly changed his mind.
Trump’s latest comments come as Mueller is reportedly preparing to speak with the president, which Trump said he “would love to” do.