Trump first learned that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel from then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions during a meeting to interview candidates for FBI director in May 2017, the report said. Also present were Sessions' chief of staff Jody Hunt and then-White House counsel Don McGahn.
After Sessions delivered the news, "the President slumped back in his chair," the report said, citing notes from Hunt.
"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked," Trump said.
Trump became "angry and lambasted" Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, according to Hunt's notes.
"How could you let this happen, Jeff?" Trump asked his attorney general.
Trump told Sessions, "'you were supposed to protect me,' or words to that effect," Sessions recalled, the Mueller report stated.
"Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels, it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won't be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me," Trump said, according to the report.
Mueller was appointed following the firing of FBI Director James Comey to oversee the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including potential collusion between Trump's campaign associates and Russian officials. Mueller's team also investigated whether Trump obstructed justice.
The investigation could not clear Trump, saying that it was unable to determine that "that no criminal conduct occurred."
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