washington president donald trump acknowledge friday investigation probe allege russian meddle 2016 u.s. presidential race possible collusion campaign seem assail justice department official oversee inquiry robert mueller special counsel name department investigate russia matter examine whether trump others seek obstruct probe person familiar inquiry say thursday investigate fire fbi director man tell fire fbi director witch hunt trump write twitter refer may dismissal jam comey trump identify man appear question integrity deputy attorney general rod rosenstein justice department official appoint mueller may 17 supervise probe write memo trump critical comey precede comey fire hours late source close trump outside legal team say trump intend tweet confirmation investigation rather react washington post story wednesday probe source speak condition anonymity rosenstein say privately may need recuse matter relate russia probe could become witness investigation abc news report friday abc say rosenstein tell associate attorney general rachel brand would authority probe step aside democratic national committee call rosenstein recuse russia matter say authority investigation give mueller another trump appointee republican trump administration initially say rosenstein letter reason president fire comey may trump late say russia thing comey tell senate panel last week believe trump fire undermine federal bureau investigation russia probe comey testify trump direct february drop fbi investigation former national security adviser michael flynn relate russia matter comey testify would mueller decide whether trump action amount obstruction justice act could cite effort republican-led congress impeach remove office russia issue cast shadow trump five months office another indication seriousness probe michael cohen personal attorney trump say retain attorney stephen ryan former assistant u.s. attorney represent ongoing probe cohen receive subpoena one congressional committees look russia issue rosenstein authority inquiry attorney general jeff sessions recuse march revelations previously undisclosed meet russia ambassador washington trump campaign adviser brand confirm justice department official 52-46 vote senate may 18 democrats line 2011 confirmation lawyer u.s. chamber commerce business lobby group legal arm play major role marshal legal opposition environmental labor regulations champion democratic former president barack obama democratic senator dianne feinstein senate intelligence committee member say increasingly concern trump would try fire mueller also rosenstein message president send tweet believe rule law apply anyone think otherwise fire feinstein say trump confidant say week president consider fire mueller rosenstein would responsible actually dismiss mueller tell u.s. lawmakers would fire good cause u.s. intelligence agencies conclude january russia interfere presidential race try help trump win part hack release email damage democratic opponent hillary clinton moscow deny interference white house deny collusion trump keep criticism investigations write twitter months investigations committee hear collusion russians nobody able show proof sad trump acknowledge investigation russia probe