Former chief of the FBI and ex-special counsel in the probe into alleged Trump-Russia ties, Robert Mueller, has passed away
FILE PHOTO. Robert Mueller. © Getty Images / Alex Wong
[RT] US
President Donald Trump has gloated over the death of Robert Mueller, a
key figure behind the Russiagate probe, stating he will no longer be
able to “hurt innocent people.”
Mueller, who led the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013, passed away on
Saturday, aged 81. Between 2017 and 2019, he was a special counsel
overseeing the probe into allegations of Russian interference in the
2016 presidential election and related issues, including alleged ties
between Trump and Moscow.
Shortly after the news of Mueller’s
death broke, the US president took to his Truth Social platform to
openly celebrate the occasion.
“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Trump wrote.
Trump has maintained for years that the ‘Russiagate’ investigation was a politically-motivated “witch hunt” and even an “attempted coup”
designed to derail his first term in office. After regaining the White
House last January, the US president has actively demanded retribution
against those involved in the probe.
The investigation led by Mueller was built upon the 2017 Intelligence
Community Assessment (ICA), which served as a cornerstone of the
narrative alleging collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign and Moscow
ahead of the 2016 election. Both Trump and top Russian officials
repeatedly denied having any ties. While Mueller’s probe ultimately
found no evidence that Trump or any of his aides “coordinated”
with Moscow to influence the 2016 polls, the scandal deeply impacted US
foreign policy and domestic politics, triggering sanctions against
Russia.
Last year, the White House launched a probe into the
Russiagate hoax, with multiple former top officials subpoenaed during
the investigation. The probe has been led by US Director of National
Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who described the affair as a “treasonous conspiracy” and a “years-long coup”
undertaken during Trump’s first term. Gabbard has released multiple
documents amid the probe, which suggested a coordinated smear campaign
apparently staged by top Democrats and Obama-era intelligence officials
and potentially linked to billionaire George Soros.