Opinion: Bashing Mueller won’t make the Russia probe go away

To the editor: When Robert S. Mueller III was appointed special counsel by the Justice Department earlier this year to investigate the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 election, he was spoken about as if he were the next best thing to come around since sliced bread. Now there is a campaign against him merely because he is getting some results. (“The campaign to delegitimize the Russia probe is well under way,” Opinion, Dec. 10)

Let the man do his job as he has done thus far, quietly and effectively. As has so often been pointed out to President Trump’s followers, the more you leave Mueller to his task, the more quickly he will probably finish it.

J. David Knobler, Winnetka

..

To the editor: Forgive me if I seem somewhat more cynical than columnist Doyle McManus in his characterization of the anti-Mueller campaign as something that might cause Trump to fire the special counsel. It doesn’t take too wild of an imagination to assume that this “campaign” is being orchestrated by Trump’s inner circle as a prelude to Mueller’s dismissal.

Trump is now facing the Hobson’s choice of allowing Mueller’s investigation to continue, thereby almost certainly exposing a boatload of Trump’s questionable financial dealings, which could provide grounds for impeachment, or firing Mueller and hoping to whether the resultant calls for impeachment.

The president would be more likely to survive the latter scenario, especially if he dismisses Mueller when the electorate is distracted with holiday preparations. So, look for Trump to act just before Christmas Day.

Happy holidays!

Robert Michael LaCarr, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: As the Los Angeles Times’ former Washington bureau chief, McManus knows well that what is going on now with Mueller pales in comparison to the bashing of special prosecutor Kenneth Starr by Bill Clinton’s ferocious partisans in the late 1990s.

Those doing the Mueller bashing today would be well-advised to take a page or two from the history books on Starr’s demonization.

George A. Vandeman, Pacific Palisades

..

To the editor: If Trump wants a successful Saturday Night Massacre, he should have Mueller fired before the pending tax legislation gets signed into law.

While the Republicans in Congress have expressed publicly that a Mueller firing may trigger an obstruction of justice investigation — possibly cascading into a full-blown constitutional crisis — they will nary allow it to happen before their precious “Donor Relief Act” arrives at Trump’s desk ready for him to sign.

Larry Craig, Encinitas

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook