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Ruddy told ABC News at the time that he stood by his comments that the president was considering asking Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to terminate Mueller. \"Trump is definitely considering it ... it's not something that’s being dismissed,\" Ruddy said.

That notion was dismissed hours after Ruddy's PBS interview by senior White House aides, who said that Ruddy does not speak for the president, but it was not met with a denial. However, then-Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters the following day, on June 13, that \"while the president has the right to [fire Mueller], he has no intention to do so.\"

And then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement at the time, \"Mr. Ruddy never spoke to the president regarding this issue. With respect to this subject, only the president or his attorneys are authorized to comment.\"

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