U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday indirectly defended Donald Trump’s insensitive reaction to the death of Robert Mueller — the former FBI director and special prosecutor who spearheaded an inquiry into potential Russian ties to Trump’s first presidential campaign — by asking for “empathy for what’s been done to the president and his family.”
The 81-year-old Mueller died Friday night of undisclosed causes, his family revealed in a statement Saturday. He reportedly had Parkinson’s disease, although his family asked for privacy without divulging further information. Almost immediately after his death was announced, Trump took to Truth Social.
“Robert Mueller just died,” he posted. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
Truth Social / realdonaldtrump
President Trump crowed about the death of Robert Mueller in a Truth Social post on Saturday. (Truth Social / realdonaldtrump)
Mueller, a U.S. Marine veteran who earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart in Vietnam, served under both presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama after the latter asked him to extend his tenure. Years after leaving the post in 2013, Mueller was tapped as special counsel to head the investigation into potential Russian influence on Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, a probe Trump called a “witch hunt” in deriding him. Mueller drew praise from both sides of the political aisle for his integrity and commitment to the rule of law.
While Democrats and Republicans pushed back at President Trump’s response, some MAGA faithful and Trump acolytes rose to defend him. Bessent, appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” tried to make Trump the victim.
When anchor Kristen Welker asked Bessent if he thought it “appropriate for the president to celebrate the death of a Bronze Star, Purple Heart recipient who served in Vietnam,” Bessent replied, “Neither one of us can understand what has been done to the president and his family.”
She asked about the appropriateness of a president celebrating any American citizen’s death, and Bessent responded: “Given what has been done to President Trump and his family, it is impossible for either of us to understand what he’s been through.”
When Welker then quoted Trump’s post, Bessent repeated, “We should have empathy for what’s been done to the president and his family.”
On MSNOW, former White House counsel Ty Cobb championed his longtime friend’s “honor and integrity” — as he had when Mueller was appointed to lead the inquiry known as “Russiagate.” Cobb served in the White House from July 2017 to May 2018 and helped Trump navigate the beginnings of the investigation.
“What the president said today, of course is petty, shameful, despicable and undignified,” Cobb on Saturday told Erielle Reshef on “Alex Witt Reports.”
“Sadly, that is the president we have,” Cobb said. “He’s a demented narcissist, seriously hates anybody who stands in opposition to him, has reworked the justice department into a revenge machine, and rules the country in a very authoritarian manner with the assistance of a cowardly cabinet and even more cowardly Republicans in Congress. And that’s tragedy, that’s something we’re all having to deal with.”
With News Wire Services