WASHINGTON - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

2:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is giving a vote of confidence to the way his lawyer is dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling.

Trump says in a midday tweet, "I have agreed with the historically co-operative, disciplined approach that we have engaged in with Robert Mueller (Unlike the Clintons!). I have full confidence in Ty Cobb, my Special Counsel, and have been fully advised throughout each phase of this process."

Trump's tweet came after The Washington Post reported his former strategist, Steve Bannon, was recommending that the president stop co-operating with Mueller's probe.

Aides and allies say they are alarmed by Trump's increasing anger over an array of developments, from film star Stormy Daniels' lawsuit to Mueller's probe, as he tweeted threats of military strikes in Syria.

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6:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump insists he did not consider firing special counsel Robert Mueller in December. He's denying a report in The New York Times, and says that if he'd wanted to fire Mueller, he would have done so.

The Times reported that in early December, Trump was furious over reports about a new round of subpoenas from Muller's office and told advisers the investigation needed to be ended.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him. Just more Fake News from a biased newspaper!"

The Times article appeared in print Wednesday.

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6 a.m.

The Russia collusion probe. The Stormy Daniels allegations. The escalating tension with Moscow.

The tempests that have separately buffeted the White House for months merged into a maelstrom this week and threatened to engulf President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday railed against members of the Justice Department by name and took to Twitter to threaten military strikes in Syria and taunt a nuclear-armed power.

While alarmed aides and allies worried that Trump was the angriest he'd ever been, the president saw conspiracies in the challenges facing his administration and hinted at more chaos. And as Trump's party was rocked by upheaval on Capitol Hill, White House staffers explored whether he has the legal authority to fire the men leading the investigation into his administration and, as underscored by the seizure of documents from his private lawyer, his business and personal life.

News from © The Associated Press, 2018