White House legislative affairs director Marc Short on Sunday disputed a report that President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump: If there's no wall, there's no DACA fix Trump appears to call out Samsung over missing FBI text messages Trump Commerce pick told lawmakers he would look at reversing Obama move on internet oversight: report MORE tried to fire special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE last year.
“I’m not aware the president ever intimated he wanted to fire Robert Mueller,” Short said on “Fox News Sunday."
“Robert Mueller is still the special counsel, Don McGahn is still head of White House counsel, The White House continues to cooperate in every manner providing every document the special counsel has asked for,” he added.
Multiple other news outlets later confirmed The Times' reporting.
Trump dismissed the story as "fake news" while at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“I know the president has been frustrated by this investigation,” Short said Sunday.
Mueller is conducting a criminal investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. His probe has thus far led to two indictments and two guilty pleas.
The report comes after Trump said last week he is willing to sit down with Mueller for an interview under oath. His attorneys later clarified that details of an interview are still being worked out.
Trump also defended his frequent attacks on the Russia investigation. He argued he was just looking to “fight back,” and his comments calling the investigation a “hoax” and “witch hunt” do not amount to obstruction of justice.