- By Surarika Das
- Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:29 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Former FBI Director Robert S Mueller II, who headed the investigation into the alleged connection of Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Mueller died on Friday at the age of 81. He had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for a long time.
Hearing the news, Trump reacted to the former director's death and shared a post on Truth Social. He said, "Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!" Trump added.
About Trump-Mueller Rivalry
The second largest-serving director after J Edgar Hoover was specially assigned to look into the Trump-Russia ties case. Prior to that, for several years, he was practicing in private. His appointment turned significant as the thorough investigation took almost two years. During that time, Mueller and his team did not attend a single news conference or make any public appearance, even after repeated attacks from the Trump administration.
The inquiry concluded by filing charges against six of the president's candidates, including the campaign's chairman and first national security advisor. The Trump campaign had significant interactions with Russia, according to a 448-page investigation published in April 2019, but no criminal conspiracy was alleged. Although he refrained from ruling on whether Trump had violated the law, in part due to departmental policy prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president, he presented devastating evidence about Trump's attempts to take control of the investigation and even shut it down.
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How Did Mueller Gain Popularity
Additionally, Mueller will also be remembered for his incredible role in the investigation of the September 11 attacks and its aftermath. When he became FBI director, “I had expected to focus on areas familiar to me as a prosecutor: drug cases, white-collar criminal cases, and violent crime,” Mueller told a group of lawyers in October 2012.
Instead, "We had to focus on long-term, strategic change. We had to enhance our intelligence capabilities and upgrade our technology. We had to build upon strong partnerships and forge new friendships, both here at home and abroad," AP reported.
His Early Life
Born in New York City, Mueller grew up in a well-to-do suburb of Philadelphia.
He received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a master's degree in international relations from New York University. He then joined the Marines, serving for three years as an officer during the Vietnam War. He led a rifle platoon and was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and two Navy Commendation Medals. Following his military service, Mueller earned a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Mueller then became a federal prosecutor and relished handling criminal cases. He rose quickly through the ranks in US attorneys' offices in San Francisco and Boston from 1976 to 1988. Later, as head of the Justice Department's criminal division in Washington, he oversaw a range of high-profile prosecutions that chalked up victories against targets as varied as Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and New York crime boss John Gotti.
