Photo courtesy of The Daily Beast.
Summary: Donald Trump’s lead lawyer has resigned from handling the president’s defense in the Russia probe.
On Thursday, the president’s attorney resigned from his position defending him in the Russia probe, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
According to CNN, Trump’s lead attorney John Dowd said he wished the president well and that he “loved” him.
Dowd was the lead attorney in President Donald Trump’s defense in the FBI’s investigation into his ties with Russia and how the country may have affected the 2016 presidential election.
Dowd had urged Trump to cooperate with Mueller and resist attacking him on Twitter, but Trump apparently did not listen to him. As Trump’s attacks on Mueller and the government’s investigative bureaus increased, Dowd submitted his surprise resignation on Thursday. According to CNN, “His departure raises questions about the direction of Trump’s legal strategy and could signal a more aggressive posture on Trump’s part.”
Days before Dowd’s resignation, he released a statement that the Russia investigation should end, but that statement received backlash and stoked turmoil within Trump’s legal team, sources told CNN.
CNN said that Trump proclaimed publicly to be happy with Dowd but internally he complained about him constantly.
Earlier this week, Trump hired attorney Joseph diGenova to join his legal team, sparking speculation that he may replace Dowd as the lead attorney. DiGenova has already appeared to court favor with Trump when he publicly said that the 45th president was “framed” by the FBI and Department of Justice.
Multiple sources told CNN that the President is convinced he needs to take more control of his legal strategy as Mueller’s investigation is intensifying. So far, he has indicted five members of Trump’s inner circle, and four have pled guilty to lying to the FBI during Mueller’s investigation.
Before Dowd resigned, he had allegedly felt blindsided by the hiring of diGenova, and he had privately threatened to quit. Dowd and diGenova had very different views about attacking the intelligence community. Dowd wanted Trump to remain silent, while diGenova shared the president’s belief that the FBI was out to get him.
Dowd had replaced Trump’s longtime lawyer and friend, Marc Kasowitz, but according to CNN, the two men spoke regularly on an informal basis.
With Dowd out of the picture, CNN said that is unclear whether Trump’s legal team will continue with Dowd’s strategy or move onto one that is more aggressive.
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