The one-time campaign manager for President Donald Trump wants an immediate end of the government’s investigation into possible ties between the Republican’s White House bid and Russia.
“What is Bob Mueller doing?” Corey Lewandowski asked Wednesday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program, referring to the special counsel who is leading the Department of Justice probe. “I don’t even understand what his role is anymore because everyone has said there is nothing here and so this investigation should end immediately.”
Lewandowski, a Trump confidante who often visits the White House, cited an Op-Ed published Tuesday in The New York Times by columnist David Brooks that questioned whether sufficient evidence exists to investigate whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. Despite Brooks’ conservative credentials, he has written several columns highly critical of Trump.
“This is amazing ― David Brooks is not a Trump supporter, he’s truly a Trump hater and if you have someone as liberal as him from the failing New York Times coming on and saying [the investigation my not be justified], the people in Washington should understand this,” Lewandowski said.
“There is no collusion. There is no obstruction. There was no communication. It’s time to move on from this,” he added.
The Washington Post reported last week that as part of Mueller’s probe, Trump is under investigation for attempting to obstruct justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey earlier this year.
Paul Manafort, who became Trump’s campaign manager after Lewandowski was fired in June 2016, is also facing a separate criminal probe as part of Mueller’s investigation. Manafort was forced to resign from the Trump campaign in August amid questions about his past business dealings in Ukraine.
Lewandowski is the latest close ally of Trump to attack the special counsel investigation. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticized Mueller by referring to him as the “anti-Trump special counsel” in a tweet earlier this month. Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway questioned Mueller’s independence by pointing at past campaign contributions by members of his legal team.
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, who frequently talks to the president, said in a PBS interview earlier this month that Trump was “considering” firing Mueller at one point.