Robert Mueller, who served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013 and led the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election, died on Friday at age 81, his family announced on Saturday. No cause was given, though he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Reactions ranged from harsh criticism by Donald Trump to tributes from former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and praise from journalist Rachel Maddow.
Robert S. Mueller III died on Friday, March 20, 2026, his family said in a statement shared on Saturday: “With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night. His family asks that their privacy be respected.” The family had disclosed to The New York Times in August 2025 that Mueller had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years earlier, but no official cause of death was given. He was 81.
Born on August 7, 1944, in New York City and raised in Philadelphia, Mueller graduated from Princeton University in 1966, earned a master's from New York University, and attended law school at the University of Virginia. He served as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Mueller joined the Justice Department in 1976, became assistant attorney general in 1991, and later a partner at WilmerHale.
President George W. Bush nominated him as FBI director in 2001; sworn in a week before 9/11, he served until 2013, refocusing the bureau on counterterrorism. In 2017, after James Comey's firing, Mueller was appointed special counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate Russian election meddling and possible Trump obstruction. His 448-page 2019 report found Russia systematically interfered, the Trump campaign welcomed benefits but no established coordination, and did not exonerate the president on obstruction (citing DOJ policy against indicting a sitting president). It did not issue a grand-jury subpoena for Trump's testimony, using written answers limited to pre-presidency events; AG William Barr released a redacted version, summarizing it as not exonerating Trump. The probe led to charges against 37 people/entities, including Paul Manafort (fraud), Roger Stone and Michael Flynn (lying to investigators); Trump pardoned them in 2020.
Mueller's death drew contrasting responses. On Truth Social, Donald Trump wrote: “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Former presidents Bush and Obama issued tributes praising his FBI service. Obama said Mueller deserved commendation for “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.” On MSNBC, Rachel Maddow called him “the last in a line of people that I don’t think we’ll ever see the likes of again,” a member of an “extinct class of lifelong rock-ribbed Republican public officials” known for “propriety and... nonpartisan competence.”
WilmerHale described him as an “extraordinary leader and public servant... of the greatest integrity.” Sen. Mark Warner praised his “integrity, duty, and strength of character.”
