Mueller report: Trump tried repeatedly to choke Russia probe

In this Oct. 28, 2013, file photo, former FBI Director Robert Mueller is seated at FBI Headquarters in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sought the removal of special counsel Robert Mueller, discouraged witnesses from cooperating with prosecutors, and prodded aides to mislead the public on his behalf.

That’s according to a hugely anticipated report from Mueller that details multiple efforts the president made to curtail a Russia probe he feared would cripple his administration.

Mueller writes that Trump’s attempts to seize control of the investigation, and directions to others on how to influence it, “were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.”

Mueller’s two-volume, 448-page redacted report was finally released Thursday. /kga