every republican in congress and everything i've seen from republican elected officials is to defend the integrity of bob mueller and the only people out toeing the president's line are either paid spokespeople for his legal team or former campaign surrogates like newt gingrich. >> reporter: yeah, they've not directly responded on that why you see this big yawning gap between what republicans are going to have to face voters in 18 months and what their own campaigns are saying. you know, to ari eexst'ari's po the white house could do it and rod rosenstein is the bullwork there. eventually, you can find -- they can always fire rod rosenstein and find someone who would not find charge. it's not impossible to think that clever lawyers here at the white house, there are many, in any administration there are, could figure out a way to do this. i take ari's legal point and the