Amid outrage from Democrats over his controversial phone call with Ukraine’s leader, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to face more backlash over his reported bid to seek help from Australia to investigate the origins of the former special counsel’s Russia probe.
According to The New York Times, Trump pushed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help gather information for an inquiry to discredit Robert Mueller’s investigation.
US President Donald Trump called Australian PM Scott Morrison and asked for his help with an investigation into the origins of the Mueller inquiry, Australian officials have confirmed.
Citing two American officials familiar with the matter, the Times said the U.S. president initiated the discussion in recent weeks with Morrison explicitly to urge Australia to help Attorney General William Barr show that the Mueller investigation had “corrupt and partisan origins.”
The Mueller inquiry investigated whether Mr Trump conspired with Russia in the 2016 presidential election. Its findings, released in April, did not establish that the Trump campaign criminally conspired with Russia to influence the election.
Trump is currently facing an impeachment inquiry over a July 25 phone call during which he repeatedly asked Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over unsubstantiated claims of corruption.
