Can Donald Trump fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller?

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dumped gasoline on a raging debate about presidential authority when she said President Donald Trump "certainly believes he has the power to" fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Sanders told reporters April 10 that the White House has backing from members of the legal community, including Justice Department officials, who have "advised that the president certainly has the power to make that decision."

In stark contrast to the White House position, some legal experts believe the special counsel's removal would have to be carried out through Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller. Still others have different theories about how Trump might derail Mueller, short of removing him.

Mueller’s potential removal falls into a legal gray area that involves a complicated interplay between Justice Department regulations, congressional statutes and constitutional law. Because this exact question has never been tried in court, we’re looking into the legal mechanics of firing Mueller, but we won’t issue a Truth-O-Meter rating.