WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday celebrated the death of Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who was tapped as a special counsel to investigate Russia’s efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election and tip the result in Trump’s favor.

“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Trump wrote on social media, minutes after Mueller’s passing was announced.

Others Praise Mueller

The president has been known to disparage foes after their deaths, including director Rob Reiner, drawing criticism from friends and critics. His coarse remarks Saturday capped a yearslong grudge against Mueller, whom he accused of leading a “witch hunt” against him in his first term. His words were a stark contrast to statements issued by his predecessors.

Related Story: Robert Mueller, Special Counsel Who Probed but Did Not Charge Trump, Dies at 81

“Bob dedicated his life to public service,” former President George W. Bush said, praising Mueller’s combat record and stewardship of the FBI after Sept. 11, 2001. Mueller helped prevent “another terrorist attack on U.S. soil,” Bush added.

Former President Barack Obama, who asked Mueller to stay on for two more years as FBI director, said in a social media post Saturday that it was Mueller’s “relentless commitment to the rule of law and his unwavering belief in our bedrock values that made him one of the most respected public servants of our time.”

Mueller, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who led the FBI for 12 years, had long enjoyed bipartisan favor until he was appointed in 2017 to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and any ties between Moscow and members of Trump’s campaign.

Dems, Republicans Blast Trump

Trump’s statement drew rebuke from Republicans and Democrats.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said that Trump’s comment was “un-Christian-like behavior” and “wrong.”

“It’s so unnecessary,” Bacon said in an interview. “It’s a self-error. People hate it.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a post on the social platform X that Trump’s words were “characteristically vile and predictably deranged.”

“But the important thing to remember is that Trump never said anything remotely so negative or definitive about the death of his longtime best friend Jeffrey Epstein,” Raskin wrote.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Erica L. Green/Doug Mills

c.2026 The New York Times Company