’I love the president!’ Trump’s lead lawyer, John Dowd, resigns days after calling for end to Mueller probe

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Lawyer John Dowd is interviewed by reporters outside a New York court on May 11, 2011. The lead lawyer of US President Donald Trump, Dowd resigned on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:03am, 23 Mar 2018Updated: 3:44am, 23 Mar 2018

John Dowd resigned on Thursday as one of US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers, the latest sign of a shake-up within the president’s legal team as the Russia investigation enters a critical stage.

Dowd, 77, had been handling sensitive negotiations with special counsel Robert Mueller over a possible interview with Trump, and had recently called for an end to the investigation.

In an email, Dowd said: “I love the president and wish him well.”

Jay Sekulow, one of the president’s other lawyers, said in a statement: “John Dowd is a friend and has been a valuable member of our legal team. We will continue our ongoing representation of the President and our cooperation with the Office of Special Counsel.”

Dowd recently generated controversy by suggesting that the Department of Justice should end its investigation into whether anyone among Trump’s associates colluded with Russians who interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign.

In this file photo taken on July 7, 2017, US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. Dowd was central to the president’s team dealing with the investigation into possible collusion between his election campaign and Russia. Photo: AP