FACT CHECK: Did Robert Mueller Tweet Back At Donald Trump Over An ‘Illegal Witch Hunt’ Tweet?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook more than 9,700 times allegedly shows a screen grab of former special counsel Robert Mueller replying to President Donald Trump’s tweet calling the Russia investigation an “illegal Witch Hunt.”

“Whoopsie, Robert Mueller tweets back,” reads the caption.

Verdict: False

Mueller does not have a public Twitter account. The tweet came from a parody account that has since been suspended.

Fact Check:

Mueller headed the nearly two-year probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. His 448-page report did not establish that Trump coordinated or conspired with the Russian government but left open the question of whether the president obstructed justice.

A viral image falsely alleged in a post that Mueller tweeted in response Trump’s Oct. 26 tweet quoting a remark from Fox News host Tucker Carlson and calling the Russia investigation an “illegal Witch Hunt.” (RELATED: Viral Image Claims That Fox News Isn’t Covering The Mueller Hearings)

“‘Not a single American citizen has been charged with anything related to Russian Collusion, not one person.’ @TuckerCarlson It was all an illegal Witch Hunt!” tweeted Trump.

“Six former Trump advisers, 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer,” Mueller allegedly responded. “Seven of these people (including five of the six former Trump advisers) have pleaded guilty. All of these charges stem from our investigation.”

Yet, while the tweet appears authentic at first glance, it did not come from the former special counsel, but rather an unaffiliated parody account that has since been suspended. Mueller does not have a public Twitter account.

Further adding to the post’s dubiousness, he has been notably tight-lipped when it comes to the Russia investigation. If Mueller had publicly responded to Trump’s tweet, it would have been picked up by the media, yet no news outlets have reported on it.

He and his team of prosecutors have indicted 34 individuals, including several with ties to Trump, and three Russian companies on charges ranging from lying to investigators to computer hacking to conspiracy, according to Business Insider.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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