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Trump is 'seized with fear' over Russia investigation, says veteran news reporter Dan Rather

'A political hurricane is out there at sea for him', Mr Rather said 

Alexandra Wilts
Washington DC
Thursday 31 August 2017 18:32 BST
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Journalist Dan Rather
Journalist Dan Rather (Getty Images)

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Former news anchor Dan Rather has said Donald Trump is “seized with fear” over what special counsel Robert Mueller may find in a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Donald Trump is afraid,” Mr Rather told MSNBC. “He's trying to exude power and strength. He's afraid of something that Mueller and the prosecutors are going to find out.”

“A political hurricane is out there at sea for him, we'll call it Hurricane Vladimir if you will, the whole Russian thing,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It's still pretty far out at sea, but each day ... this hurricane, this political hurricane ... is building in intensity.”

Federal and congressional investigators are currently looking into whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence last year’s presidential race.

The multiple investigations have plagued the Trump administration, and new developments continue to emerge.

A report this week said Mr Mueller and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, have teamed up in an investigation into Paul Manafort, Mr Trump’s former campaign chairman.

Mr Schneiderman’s statewide probe could help Mr Mueller in the larger inquiry into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The President has repeatedly called Mr Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt” and has denied there was any collusion.

Mr Mueller's team is also reportedly looking into whether Mr Trump knew about a meeting his son, Donald Trump Jr, had with a Kremlin-connected lawyer last year, according to NBC.

Mr Trump Jr met with the lawyer after being told she would provide official documents and information that would “incriminate” his father’s campaign opponent Hillary Clinton.

The President’s son said the lawyer did not provide such information.

Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Mr Manafort also attended the meeting.

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