Robert Mueller, former FBI director who investigated Trump, dead at 81

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who earned the enmity of President Donald Trump by serving as special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, has died, his family said in a statement.

Mueller was 81. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2021, his family told the New York Times in August.

"With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night," Mueller's family said in a statement March 21. They didn't specify the cause of death, but asked for their privacy to be respected. The news was first reported by MS NOW.

Trump said on social media: "I’m glad he’s dead."

As special counsel, Mueller issued a report in 2019 concluding that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election to help then-presidential candidate Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. However, Mueller didn't find evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Mueller's sweeping investigation loomed over much of Trump's first term and made him a frequent target of the president.

Trump tried to influence the investigation and fire Mueller, but officials under Trump resisted those directives, according to the report.

"Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!" Trump said on Truth Social.

Mueller, a Purple Heart recipient, led FBI for 12 years

Mueller was born in New York City and grew up near Philadelphia. After college, he served in the Vietnam War as a United States Marine Corps officer, earning several awards and commendations, including a Purple Heart.

Speaking on MSNBC podcast The Oath With Chuck Rosenberg in 2020, Mueller described getting shot when he and other Marines came under fire. A young husband and father at the time, he was evacuated.

"I come to find out in the next day or so that it wasn't that bad. It had been a through-and-through, and I'm not going to any hospital ship," Mueller said. "As it happened, I heal. And within three weeks, I was back in the bush."

Mueller later went to law school and, after spending time in private practice, became a federal prosecutor.

Over his career, he prosecuted cases in San Francisco, Boston and Washington, DC, and served in senior roles in the Justice Department.

In 1998, Mueller was named as the top federal prosecutor in San Francisco. He continued in that role until 2001, when he was nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the FBI.

Mueller headed the FBI from 2001 to 2013.

Investigating Trump, Russia and 2016 election

The Justice Department appointed Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, a move that spurred accusations Trump was attempting to quash the probe.

Even though Mueller didn't find Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government, his involvement in the probe made him a frequent target of Trump's ire.

"I think Mueller is a true 'Never Trumper.' He's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump," the real estate mogul told reporters in 2019.

Mueller did say in his 2019 report that his investigation hadn't cleared Trump of obstructing justice.

While "this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Mueller wrote.

Reaction to Mueller's death

Comey, whom the Trump administration has attempted to prosecute since Trump returned to the Oval Office, said on social media that Mueller "was a truly good and honest person and an extraordinary American patriot."

"May his example inspire people of integrity to serve our country," Comey added.

Former President Barack Obama posted on social media that Mueller transformed the FBI after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, "saving countless lives."

"But it was his relentless commitment to the rule of law and his unwavering belief in our bedrock values that made him one of the most respected public servants of our time," Obama added.

Law firm WilmerHale, which employed Mueller for years and has been the target of sanctions from the Trump administration, based partly on its connection to Mueller, told USA TODAY in a statement that Mueller would often conclude speeches by urging his audience to choose a way to improve their country and community.

"Each person must determine in what way they can best serve others … a way that will leave them believing that their time has been time well spent," Mueller would say, according to the firm.

This story has been updated with additional information.