Scott Bessent backs Trump on Robert Mueller's death post: 'Impossible for us to understand'

WASHINGTON, DC: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday, March 22, urged the public to show greater “empathy” toward President Donald Trump following backlash over his post reacting to former FBI Director Robert Mueller's death. 

The remarks followed Mueller’s passing and reignited debate over his investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election. He died at the age of 81 after a years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Scott Bessent backs Trump, urges empathy after Mueller death post

Bessent, speaking on 'Meet the Press,' said it was difficult for outsiders to understand what Trump and his family had endured during years of federal scrutiny. “I think that given what has been done to President Trump and his family it is impossible for either of us to understand what he has been through,” he stated.

Referring to Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign and links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bessent pointed to the emotional toll of prolonged scrutiny.

He also recalled being with Trump in Davos, where footage reportedly showed what he described as a potentially illegal raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. “They are going through his wife’s wardrobe,” Bessent said, adding that Trump’s reaction reflected the strain of such experiences.

Trump reacted sharply to Mueller’s death on Truth Social, writing, “I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

In parallel, Trump is pursuing an unprecedented $230 million settlement from the Department of Justice related to multiple federal probes into his conduct. “I brought a lawsuit, and I’m winning the lawsuit. There’s only one problem. I’m the one who has to settle it,” Trump said last December, a demand that legal experts have questioned as unusual and potentially unethical.

Robert Mueller’s investigation and public service legacy

Mueller led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election from May 2017 to March 2019, producing a 448-page report that found no conspiracy or coordination between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government.

He also did not recommend prosecuting Trump, though the inquiry placed the administration under intense scrutiny and drew repeated criticism from the president, who labeled it a “witch hunt.”

Before serving as special counsel, Mueller was director of the FBI from 2001 to 2013, taking office just days before the September 11 attacks and helping transform the agency into a modern counterterrorism force.

Tributes followed his death from leaders across political lines. former President George W. Bush, who appointed him, said he was “deeply saddened,” noting Mueller’s leadership in preventing further attacks after 9/11.

Former FBI Director James Comey described Mueller as “a great American,” while his former law firm, WilmerHale, called him an “extraordinary leader and public servant.”

Mueller studied at Princeton University before joining the Marines and serving in Vietnam in 1968. As a lieutenant, he led troops in combat, was wounded twice, and received several honours, including the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.