President Trump’s lead lawyer in the Russia investigation has resigned today it was announced, citing strong differences in strategy in the President’s defense. John Dowd who has been part of the President’s personal legal team since last summer said he was leaving his role because the President was increasingly ignoring his advice, according to a source.
Dowd had been pushing for a more reserved approach when it came to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and the President’s posture towards it. The President, encouraged by longtime personal attorney Marc Kasowitz, who resigned from Trump’s legal team last summer but still maintains close ties with the President, has been taking a more aggressive stance toward the investigation.
The President tweeted last weekend, mentioning Mueller by name for the first time, intimating that the investigation was partisan in nature and should never have been started.
“Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added…does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!” the President wrote.
Dowd himself had tweeted that Mueller should end his investigation last weekend, initially saying he was speaking for the President. After receiving criticism for the statements, Dowd backtracked and said he was speaking only for himself. Trump found the incident ham-handed and said Dowd should not have backpedaled.
It was not entirely clear who will be taking over the lead on the President’s legal team with Dowd’s departure. The President, earlier this week, hired veteran Washington attorney Joseph DiGenova. DiGenova had publicly argued that Trump had been “framed” by the FBI and Justice Department officials.
The President has also met with Emmet T. Flood, another veteran Washington Attorney and a former attorney of President Bill Clinton’s, this week. Flood defended Clinton during the scandal that resulted in impeachment proceedings for Clinton in the 90s.
Dowd had little in the way of comment after the announcement, only voicing encouragement for the President going forward. “I love the president,” he said. “I wish him the best of luck. I think he has a really good case.”